At Ca’ Pesaro, a Party to Honor the Genius of Armando Testa
Armando Testa was truly a genius. A unique figure in his field, he made history in modern visual culture through posters, advertising campaigns, commercials, and social projects that have remained in the collective imagination of generations. “We live in a world where images are and will become increasingly intense,” Testa loved to say. “The public will play with them and experience them in many different ways. This is the future of humanity in the age of images.”
Ca’ Pesaro, home of the International Gallery of Modern Art in Venice, confirms this notion and pays homage to this splendid creative from Piedmont with a tribute exhibition that highlights his versatility and creative genius. On display are all his most legendary works: from logos for brands like Lavazza, Sasso, Carpano, Simmenthal, and Lines to the poster for the 1960 Rome Olympics. The monographic exhibition, curated by Gemma De Angelis Testa, Tim Marlow, and Elisabetta Barisoni, was inaugurated in April to coincide with the Biennale of Art. But the other night, it enjoyed a glamorous extension with a party held in the museum’s spaces in the Santa Croce district. Among the event’s guests were various representatives from the art and culture world. Among them, Elisabetta Barisoni, head of Ca’ Pesaro, who hosted the event. Then Massimo Bartolini and Luca Cerizza, respectively artist and curator of the Italian Pavilion at the Biennale, Gemma De Angelis Testa, wife of the great advertiser and founder of the Acacia Association, and Tim Marlow, director of the Design Museum in London. All gathered on the Grand Canal to celebrate a genius who to say of himself, “I was born poor, but modern.”
Text: Germano D’Acquisto
Photos: Andrea Sgambelluri
