First Hyperrealism and Portrait Festival at Civitavecchia

From next 17th September the First Festival of Figurative Art, Hyperrealism and Portrait will take place at the former church of San Giovanni di Dio and at the Cittadella della Musica.

Organized by the City of Civitavecchia in collaboration with the cultural association "Il Piacere dell'Arte" and with the support of Ca.Ri.Civ. and Port Mobility, the kermesse wil count with works of a great emotional impact, most of a high technical level.

To learn more and for further information we have decided to interview one of the organisers, the successful hyperrealist artist and designer Giancarlo De Gennaro:

THE INTERVIEW

Good morning Giancarlo, first of all, we would like to thank you for your time. Now, how is the idea of a painting contest born?

Thank you for the attention you are putting into art. The idea of the Festival was born probably as a form of therapy. With some artist friends of mine we decided to say "stop" to the pseudo art we don't understand, the art full of scrawls and squiggles that don't say anything to our senses and our soul; a kind of art that, without the help of an obliging critic, would never arouse any kind of feelings. We are tired of faking in front of uncomprehensible fulness. That's how the 1st FESTIVAL OF FIGURATIVE ART, HYPERREALISM AND PORTRAIT is born. The subheading is even clearer "the return of the technique".

How many works will be exhibited?

We have had to gone through a huge selection of works. The criteris were simple, the works needed to have an outstanding technical base. Many have not been selected and at the end, we have come out with about fifty artists gifted with a good technique, some really extraordinary. Participants could present one or two works, so about eighty works will be displayed.

What are the criteria for the judging of the prizes?

Technical accuracy and the intesity of the emotions that the works arouse.

The contest counts with the participation of artists from, we could say, two different worlds, similar as well as different to each other; figurative art vs. hyperrealism.

Could you explain to us the differences and similiarities of both artistic tendencies?

Maybe I could explain in about four days... jokes aside, I'll try to summarize: Figurative Art is an art that, starting from a good technical base, manages to picture a dream, a feeling or a torment, not necessarily obsessive with details or reality.

Hyperrealism, instead, is pure technique. The maniacal search for every single detail. At the end, the work, thanks to shrewdness, looks more real than the photo itself.

Which are the prizes at stake?

There will be prixes for both sections. Each section will have an absolute winner, that will win a thousand euro, and five participants placed second that will have the chance to have a mini exhibition of their own in the next edition.

Thank you so much for your time and may the best man win!

Thank you. See you at the festival!

Programme of the Festival

The Festival will be opened next Saturday 17th September 2016. Here's the programme for the day:

Saturday 17th September

• 17:30: Opening at Cittadella della Musica (Molinari room)
• 18:00: Piano show and authority greeting
• 18:30: Visit of the works displayed at the hall
• 18:45: Visit of the works displayed former church of San Giovanni di Dio and violin show
• 20:30: Closure

The opening hours to see the participant works are as follows:

• Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 September from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 17:30 to 20:00;
• Monday 19 to Thursday 22 September 2016 from 17:30 to 20:00;
• Friday 23 September 2016 from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 17:30 to 20:00;
• Saturday 24 September 2016 from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 17:30 to 23:00
• Sunday 25 September 2016 from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 17:30 to 21:00.

Other activities scheduled during the contest are two Workshops, both held at the former church of San Giovanni di Dio: the first will take place on Saturday 24 at 19:00 by artists from the association "Il Piacere dell'Arte", while the second will take place Sunday 25 at 11:00 by guest artists.

The award cerimony and closure of the Festival will be at 18:00 on Sunday 25 at the Molinari Room at the Cittadella della Musica, after which a buffet will be served.

Finally, we remind you that the event falls within the cycle of PER...CORSI events, a cultural appointment that has become a tradition in the last years.

“We should not forget that art and culture are the true leading engine of tourism. – declares Edgardo Azzopardi, special counselor for institutional relations of Port Mobility-  We are therefore extremely happy to support this kind of initiatives. On behalf of Port Mobility, I take the chance to wish good luck to all participants, hoping that this will be the first of many editions”.

We are honored and happy to present the 2 winning artworks of the two sections, the first prize for Hyperrealism and Portrait and for Figurative, together with 10 artworks that have been awarded a special prize: