The establishment of CESCA, the departmental exhibition center of the Canonica del San Carlo, aims to give systematicity and continuity to a series of cultural initiatives for students and the community. It is conceived as a multifunctional and interdisciplinary space where exhibition activities are integrated with research and teaching.
Among the initial events that preceded the establishment of CESCA, the performance of “Antigone” on June 6, 2016, in the garden of DISTU, and the dance and music show by the National Dance Academy with choreographies by Denis Ganio & Valerio De Vita titled “Multiplicity” on November 22, 2017, are remembered.
Among the recurring initiatives is the “Art Festival,” organized and curated by professors and students of the Master’s degree course in Archaeology and Art History. It is proposed annually in conjunction with the beginning of the first semester. The festival includes various activities such as conferences, video installations, exhibitions, readings, documentaries, dance, and musical performances. The aim is to create new forms of closeness between art, other disciplines – from archaeology, literature, art history, dance, music, to theater – and the public. The first edition of the Art Festival on September 27, 2017, aimed to celebrate art not only as one of the country’s main assets but also as a form of creativity and expression that evolves daily in its relationship with the audience. Hence the title “Feeling and seeing art.” While the second edition titled “GLOBAL/LOCAL, NEAR/FAR” held on October 10, 2018, explored the journey of art from the past and present in time and space. The third edition of the Festival dedicated to the theme “Migrations/Contaminations” took place on October 23, 2019.
On November 21, 2018, on the facade of the former church of San Carlo, as part of the project “Contemporary Art and Enhancement of Historical-Artistic Sites,” the event “Double Movement” was realized, featuring a visual-sound installation by Fabrizio Crisafulli accompanied by a documentary exhibition on “Theaters of Places” inside the Canonica. The event, emphasizing the importance of light as an energizing force for the enhancement of past memories and present actions, was organized in partnership with Enel.
With the aim of actively involving students of the Department and fostering their belongingness, the first “Photograph San Carlo” competition was announced in November 2019.
CESCA Scientific-Operational Committee The CESCA Scientific-Operational Committee, composed of several professors and researchers of the University, is responsible for selecting activities, planning the events and exhibitions calendar, organizing, promoting, and publicizing all the performance, exhibition, and editorial initiatives of the center.
Members include: Patrizia Mania (coordination), Maria Raffaella Menna, Raffaella Petrilli, Saverio Ricci, Giuseppe Romagnoli, Maria Ida Catalano, Alessia Rovelli, Giulio Vesperini