The international delegation of the Grundtvig adult education partnership "Les languages du bleu " is received in the heart of a building of the XVIth century: the Art Museum of Ravenna.
Led by Donatella Mazza, Director of Service Policies and Advanced Training for the University of Ravenna, this meeting is organized by the Fine Arts Academy, with the cooperation of the National Museum, Tesselae Centre for didactic experimentation, and the printing workshop :Stamparia dei Pascucci.
It is also necessary to emphasize Paula Noah’s warm presence, Director of the Ravenna French Alliance , which contributes to the big success of this meeting, thanks to its translations and explanations were generously brought to each.

A tour with the blue is proposed by Kniffitz, Daniele Torcellini through a collection of contemporary mosaics. The participants were able to admire the diverse uses of famous enamels and Orsoni tesselles of Venice. They become aware of the important place of the mosaic, not only in the world heritage, but also in the vast field of the possibilities offered to the XXth century and contemporaries visual arts . Daniele Torcellini moves closer, for example, to the vision of mosaic composed of tesselles sometimes tiny and the virtual image composed of pixels.

This tour with the blues continues to the National Museum, through the dazzling mosaics of Galla Placidia Mausoleum. This famous Byzantine monument built in the first half of the 5th century is known all over the world for its sumptous mosaics, the most antique of the city. They mark the transition between the early Christian art and the Byzantine art. The mausoleum is one of eight sites of Ravenna registered on the UNESCO world heritage in 1996.

It is to the National Museum that is also the cycle of frescoes of the Convent of Santa Chiara presented by Deborah Gaetta, attributed to Pietro da Rimini, of Giotto di Bondone’s school, painter of the Trecento whose blues in Padova have impressed artists of the XXth century, as the French Yves Klein.

Mosaic Worshop .

The participants are invited by Valentino Montanari, Director of Tesselae Centre for didatic experimentation , to built himself a square of mosaic, by way of all the stages of the realization: preparatory drawing, preparation of the support, the choice of tesselles… It is a difficult art, but the reward is at the end of the efforts.

The printing on fabric is in favour :a demonstration is proposed to the public won by one of the printing worshop the most ancient of Italy:" Pascucci di Gambettola". Wood pads are coating with blue ink and then printed on canvas. Each participant was able to leave the worshop with the famous pattern : the face of Dante Alghieri, the tomb of which is in Ravenna.

The" blues of Ravenna" distinguished themselves in the Contemporary Art at the Fine Arts Academy, where the " blue works " of the students are exhibitionned . The public discovered also the "blues of Alberto Zorzi", jewels’ creator and also the "blues of Roberto Papeti", art visual artist in Ravenna .

It’s also an opportunity for participants to install again the Intercultural Carpet Blue, an artwork created by Aline Rutily . After Estoi Palace Hotel in Portugal, the chapel of Maurice Denis Museum in Saint Germain-en-Laye and the Sucevita monastery in Romania, this work in process was installed on the floor at the Fine Arts Academy of Ravenna. At the same time, Cristian Bandi in charge of this project presented Romanian paintings.

This meeting in Italy is also an opportunity to take stock with Artebambini, Italian publisher about the format of the collective book "Langages du Bleu en Europe. Albastru, Azul, Bleu, Blu" whose publication is planned for june 2011. The great success of this meeeting resulted from the quality of organizers and participants, and also from the event : la Notte d’Oro of Ravenna. Many activities and visits were proposed to the public : art visual exhibitions, guided tours , concerts…..

Participants :

Rectorat de Bacau RO : Angela Sterpu, Irena Mihaela Florescu, Anca Elena Constantinescu, Irina Leonte, Constantin Leonte, Alexandrina Dospinescu.
Association Paysage et patrimoine sans frontière FR : Aline Rutily, Jean Soulier, Roberte Capillon, Bernard Capillon, Arlette Drapeau, Denis Drapeau.
Ville de Ravenne IT : Donatella Mazza, Oriella Garavini, Bruno Valerio Bandini, Daniele Torcellini, Valentino Montanari, Roberto Papetti, Alberto Zorzi, Deborah Gaetta.
Centre culturel Beliaev de Faro PT : Joana Vasconcelos, Idalia.

Aline Rutily.
Photos : Jean Soulier. Bernard Capillon.