From “Last Tango in Paris”, through “Novecento” to “Metti una sera a cena”. It will be a journey that explores cinematic eroticism at the center of “Kaiserpanorama”, the exhibition curated by Giada De Martino, in collaboration with the Cineteca Bologna and visible until 4 August at the Torre aide of the Castle of Charles V, in Crotone. The exhibition, whose vernissage will be held on Tuesday 23 July, is one of the collateral events of the Calabria Movie Film Festival, scheduled from 1 to 4 August.
The journey into cinematic eroticism begins with a reflection on the ancient instrument of the kaiserpanorama, an optical device which, starting from the end of the 19th century, allowed the public to observe the first stereoscopic images. This fascinating precursor to cinema often offered exotic views and, in some cases, the first erotic depictions, introducing viewers to a world of visual intimacy previously inaccessible.
The exhibition
From here the exhibition “Kaiserpanorama” was born, curated by Giada De Martino, in collaboration with the archives of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna and with an exhibition project by ellemme studio, which aims to explore erotic cinema, distinguishing decisively between eroticism and pornography, two concepts often confused and misrepresented. The exhibition presents a documentary selection of stage photographs by Angelo Novi, which capture iconic moments on the sets of masterpieces such as “Last Tango in Paris” (1973), “Novecento” (1976) and “Metti una sera a cena” (1969) ). In parallel, the works of Antonio Benetti document the film “Una sull’altra” (1969), offering a precious look at the erotic cinema of the 70s.
Particular attention is paid to the film “Last Tango in Paris” by Bernardo Bertolucci, a film which, upon its release in theaters in 1972, sparked a heated media and cultural debate. The dramatic and intense scenes, combined with the controversial erotic narrative, sparked mixed reactions, making this film a symbol of the complexity and power of cinema as a battlefield for ideas and emotions. Interspersing the photographic journey is a video installation of “Stripe girl” (1974) by Lino Del Frà which is part of the exhibition itinerary and which, through an experimental lens, offers a visual and critical reflection on the theme of female pleasure and “rapid consumption”. , a subject still at the center of contemporary debate.
The curator Giada De Martino declares, in the critical comment: «Kaiserpanorama fits into a historical context dominated by hyper-reality, which is transforming our world into a literally pornographic place, in which the commodification of intimacy is commonplace. It seemed important to me to explore and discuss eroticism in a conscious and artistic way, to rediscover a language that goes beyond the simple exposure of the body and desire. André Breton, in his essay “L’Amour Fou”, drew a clear distinction between eroticism and pornography. While pornography is limited to a mechanical and depthless representation of the sexual act, on the contrary, eroticism involves the imagination, the fantasy, it is an experience that transcends the physical, touching the most intimate chords of the human being , inviting him on a journey through what is hidden and not immediately visible. Kaiserpanorama wants to be precisely this: a world and a way to imagine, to rediscover empathy in an era in which the imagination is put in crisis by a nauseating consumption of images and the need to “show” at all costs; where our ability to dream lives in constant danger of being suffocated. The exhibition presents itself as a dream, a return to desire through the contemplation of what is hidden, rather than a celebration of the body and its apparent nudity. Kaiserpanorama, for me, is almost a conceptual resistance movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the power of the imagination to rediscover the empathy and depth of our most intimate desires.”
