It promises not only to be a magical evening homage to Fernando Botero and Sophia Vari, but also one of the most social events of the summer. The Botteghe di Pietrasanta, with the patronage of the Municipality, have already developed every detail of “Mi querida Pietrasanta” the event _ scheduled for Friday at 8pm at the Parco della Lumaca _ which will combine the warmth of a community that has strongly loved the two artists one year after their passing. In addition to the traders from the center who strongly wanted this tribute, the presence of his daughter Lina Botero, Italian and foreign authorities (to strengthen the bond between Italy and Colombia), collectors, gallery owners, journalists, bloggers, entrepreneurs and representatives of the Group, the main sponsor of the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte in Viareggio for a cocktail flavored with art. The intervention of Vittorio Sgarbi has been confirmed and he will hold a sort of lectio magistralis on the creativity of Botero and Vari from the Parco della Lumaca. The atmosphere will be festive: guests will be welcomed by an imposing and majestic woman on stilts dressed in red, while in the park it will also be possible to attend the performances of the professional dancer who graduated from the Teatro Alla Scala, Tamara Fragale, and follow the live performances of about ten of art high school students who will accompany the cocktail by giving shape _ with their colors and their creativity _ to works inspired by Botero on maxi panels.
The purpose of the event will be artistic education and awareness of the great heritage that the two artists have generously granted to Pietrasanta (Botero, awarded honorary citizenship in 2001, has lived continuously in the city since 1983): projections will be on some of the symbolic buildings with the videomapping technique photos and creations by Botero and Vari in a scenographic effect from an Arabian Nights; at 7pm it will also be possible to participate for free in the tour with none other than Paola Gribaudo, art historian and president of the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin since 2019, who will lead those present to discover the frescoes on Paradise and Hell created by Botero in the Chapel della Misericordia where the representative of the Archconfraternity Piero Maremmani will also be present, who was present during the artistic execution and who will intervene with anecdotes and memories. But another exceptional ‘gem’ will be the exhibition for the whole day inside the Cathedral, exceptionally, of the charcoal on canvas “The woman with the cat” of 132X 89 created by Botero in 2011 and which will be kindly made available to visitors by the Federico Contini Art Gallery.
“With this initiative we want to celebrate a mutual feeling between the city and these two greats – highlights Gianluca Borgonovi, president of Le Botteghe di Pietrasanta – a relationship which, born from a professional necessity linked to the production of their respective works, has gradually developed transformed into something deeper and more personal, emotionally indissoluble, into something that we know will remain forever. As traders we have launched a bet that we would never have imagined could have already attracted such high interest.”
