Gestures. A possible collection

Opening: Saturday, 16 September, 12:45 p.m.

In 1958, Bruno Munari published a supplement to the Italian dictionary, integrating a type of non-verbal communication that he considered key to understanding “the speech of Italians”. Inspired by the dictionary La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano, Munari developed his ‘dictionary of gestures’ and, noting the intense process of internationalisation that this type of non-verbal communication was undergoing, pointed out its usefulness for those visiting Italy.

This logic of gestural communication is part of research involving disciplines such as theatre, dance and performance, but it is also present in the investigations of visual artists. Hands are associated with everyday life, domestic tasks, crafts, working the land, as well as care, caresses, love and healing. Taking up these dimensions, this curatorial proposal seeks to reflect on the common and diverse aspects of the human condition with a group of contemporary artists who have focused part of their creative project on this unique type of gesturality.