AbilityArt. The Force of Difference

Painting without using the hands and creating works of art only with the help of the mouth and the feet: an activity, which is, for many, difficult even just to imagine, but for some it is normal. They are people who have not stopped because of a physical disability, but who have been able to find in themselves the resources to overcome any barrier and fulfill their dream of becoming painters, by rebuilding their existence through the universal force of  art despite their disability.
Thanks to the commitment of AbilityArt, which for over 60 years has been helping   and supporting Italian artists with different abilities in their human and professional career, it is possible to admire, for the first time in our country, in a special location accessible to everyone, the works of the best exponents of this extraordinary international artistic movement.
The exhibition “AbilityArt. The Force of Difference” - conceived and produced by Inthera and Mondadori Portfolio - is held from 6 to 20 November in Galleria Santa Radegonda at the Duomo Metro stop. It allows you to admire about 40 works of eleven artists from all over the world in a setting which combines tradition and modernity.
The path of the exhibition, set up by the well known expert and historian of art Simona Bartolena, is not only a simple exhibition of paintings, but it is even a moment of deep reflection on the meaning of art as the overcoming of barriers and as the intimate expression of creativity, of freedom and of beauty.
In order to make the meaning of the exhibition stronger, the visitor is introduced, step by step, to the theme of disability in art thanks to videos and interactive multimedia contents, so as to be more aware of the meaning of the works exhibited. All the artists of AbilityArt selected to take part in the exhibition show their own style, language, character and personality. Using different techniques such as oil on canvas, watercolour, acrylic and pastel, the artists produced inspired and personal works, which tell us the strength that lies behind every brushstroke, their stories, their thoughts.
The exhibition ranges from the transparencies of Serge Maudet to the expressive faces of Simona Atzori, from the realism of Jansz Christopher Keith to the surrealistic visions of Luca Bucchi. And then the representation of nature by Liu Jingsheng, the landscapes of Santina Portelli, the derelict places of Vojko Gasperut, the ethereal views of Hembert Henri-Clairy, the intense animal faces of Theresa Mathias Helen, the female figures of Ann Lund Wahlberg, the urban representation of Thomas Kahlau.
 
In such a varied exhibition path, however, the message is unique and powerful in its extraordinary positivity: art does not need the hands to express itself.
As a natural complement to the exhibition, inside Galleria Santa Radegonda, AbilityArt has opened a temporary shop where it is possible to purchase the reproductions of the works exhibited in addition to a wide range of objects inspired by them.
AbilityArt is active inside the large group of VDMFK, the International Association of painters who paint by their mouths or feet. Since 1956, the Association has been supporting and spreading the differently abled art of over 800 artists from 78 different  countries. As a result of this commitment VDMFK has offered people with physical disabilities the prospects of having new perspectives for their life and of transforming the love of painting into a rewarding professional experience. AbilityArt promotes, with the same commitment, the Italian artists who have joined the Association, by getting their works known to the public and spreading them through the site https://www.abilityart.it, a digital boutique where high quality prints and reproductions of many different types of products are available: design objects, watches, items of clothing, umbrellas, books and so much more, which can be personalized according to individual preference. The brand AbilityArt was born in 2015 as an evolution of the SPAM brand and was developed and launched by the strategic partner Inthera. Its aim was to place e-commerce side by side with traditional mail-order selling thus creating new relations with the public in order to take advantage of all the sales opportunities that a digital presence can offer.
The exhibition “AbilityArt. The force of difference” is organized in collaboration with ViDi and Fandango.

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