The exhibition titled “Fuori dai confini della realtà. Tra Klee, Chagall e Picasso” will be hosted at the Musei civici “Gian Giacomo Galletti” in Palazzo San Francesco, Domodossola, from August 1, 2025, to January 11, 2026. This significant event will spotlight 20th-century art that celebrates the breaking of rational constraints, featuring the remarkable works of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Osvaldo Licini, Fausto Melotti, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, and Gastone Novelli.
Curated by Antonio D’Amico, alongside the collaboration of Stefano Papetti and Federico Troletti, the exhibition is promoted by the Comune di Domodossola in partnership with the Fondazione Angela Paola Ruminelli and produced by the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi in Milan. The endeavor is supported by Findomo S.r.l., and includes the endorsement of the Regione Piemonte.
The exhibition delves into the years bridging the two World Wars through to the 1960s, showcasing an array of unprecedented paintings and applied arts. It aims to shatter the rules imposed by rationality to rediscover a spiritual and liberating dimension concerning the visible and tangible world.
This exhibition is part of the 5th Italo-Swiss exhibition, taking place in Domodossola from September 13 to 22, 2025. The city has traditionally served as a significant crossroads, frequented by both Italians and foreigners alike, owing to its historical and commercial value that has persisted through centuries of exchanges with communities in the surrounding valleys.
The border between Italy and Switzerland has always been a fertile ground for artistic exchange. The featured artists, including Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Fausto Melotti, Osvaldo Licini, and Gastone Novelli, illustrate this dynamic interaction. On one hand, the long-standing cultural and artistic tradition of Italy, and on the other, the innovation and experimentation of Swiss art, fostered fruitful relationships among artists, deeply influencing the collective imagination.
For instance, Paul Klee, born near Bern to a German father and Swiss mother, epitomizes the connection between the two countries, with his works significantly reflecting the influence of his education in Switzerland. Marc Chagall, despite his Russian origins, left an indelible mark on Switzerland, where he created a cycle of five stained-glass windows in the Fraumünster church in Zurich, demonstrating his spiritual and artistic bond with the region. Likewise, Picasso was deeply inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Together, their histories become a breeding ground for new ideas, enabling the development of fundamental movements like Dadaism and abstract art.
The title of the exhibition, “Fuori dai confini della realtà”, reflects how these artists contributed to liberating images from the everyday meanings of reality, returning them to a state of purity. Their works, rooted in a turbulent historical context, touch upon European tradition while simultaneously opening a door to the new through a language that challenges logic and reason.
Noteworthy are Fausto Melotti’s experimental ceramic pieces, including Untitled works, Centauro, and Bambini in ceramica invetriata, created in the post-war period. Accompanying Melotti’s works are glass pieces crafted at the Fucina degli Angeli in Venice, where artist Egidio Costantini collaborated with renowned artists such as Picasso. Two prominent pieces include Furetto and Satiro, showcasing exceptional skill in manipulating materials like glass and ceramics to explore realms of the mind. An exceptionally interesting work in this glass collection is Tre occhi (1956) by Jean Cocteau.
The exhibition will also present Paul Klee’s watercolor Baumgruppe (1931) and Marc Chagall’s iconic works, including Suonatore di violino and Composition au cirque (1976-77). Additionally, the paintings of Osvaldo Licini will be displayed, featuring Angelo ribelle (1954), Amalassunta. mano piede (1954), and the Notturni cycle (1956). Gastone Novelli will showcase a series of works that highlight his interest in a fantastic alphabet, a distinctive characteristic of his deeply cerebral style of painting.
This exhibition aims to reflect on the emergence of new artistic forms that emerged in the 20th century, steeped in imagination, fantasy, and dreams, with a particular focus on the influences of artists who have lived and worked between Italy and Switzerland. It seeks not only to explore the past but also to contemplate the future, investigating how the irrational and the liberation of the image can continue to influence our perception of the world and contemporary culture.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue published by Silvana Editoriale.
Photo credits: Musei civici “Gian Giacomo Galletti” in Palazzo San Francesco a Domodossola
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