Art and madness, the presentation of Lorenzo Pacini’s book at Villa Bottini

On the occasion of the painting and sculpture exhibition underway in the Nobili rooms of Villa Bottini organized by the Lorenzo Pacini Art Study Center, on April 25th at 5.30 pm there will be the presentation of the book on art and madness written by the art critic Lorenzo Pacini.

The information regarding the book will be preceded by a monologue by the actress Livia Castellana “tribute to Mario Tobino” with musical accompaniment by maestro Diego Perugini. The actress’s performance will be the premise for a presentation, where in a first phase, the aspects of madness seen through the eyes and works of Gualtiero Passani (1926-2019) will be highlighted, to which the artist, Carrarino by birth but from Lucca of adoption, he dedicated much of his artistic expression.

The ‘His madmen’ as he lovingly defined them, frequented and studied over the years also with the help of the well-known Viareggino psychiatrist Mario Tobino working in the Maggiano mental hospital. There will also be an explanation regarding the second part of the volume Art and madness where the author reported the events, the involvements and the consequences that the madness implied on the protagonists and on the History of Art itself.

The presentation of the book will feature speeches by Isabella Tobino, president of the Mario Tobino Foundation (granddaughter of the famous doctor) and the artist Giancarlo Vaccarezza who has done so much for teaching and introducing the artistic message into the world of mental distress.