ROME.- From October 26, 2024, to April 6, 2025, the Casina delle Civette in Villa Torlonia will host the exhibition “Niki Berlinguer: The Lady of Tapestries.” This showcase offers a comprehensive overview of the tapestry creations by the renowned weaver and artist Niki Berlinguer. For the first time, this museum space will feature a collection of 20th-century tapestries that resonate with the architectural Art Nouveau style of the windows and interiors of this Roman gem.

The exhibition, promoted by Rome's Capital City Council, Department of Culture – Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, is curated by Claudio Crescentini and organized by “Il Cigno Arte” in collaboration with Zètema Progetto Cultura, responsible for the museum services.

The exhibition catalog, published by “Il Cigno Arte,” includes essays by curator Claudio Crescentini and Maria Taboga, head of the tapestry restoration workshop at the Quirinal Palace and a scholar of Italian textile craftsmanship from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Known as “the great Italian lady of tapestries,” Niki Berlinguer – the artistic name of Corinna Adelaide Augusta Fidelia (1905-1994) – worked with prominent figures from the Italian artistic movements of the post-World War II era, including Umberto Mastroianni, Achille Perilli, Renato Guttuso, Piero Dorazio, Emilio Vedova, and Corrado Cagli. Through her work, Berlinguer reinterpreted masterpieces from renowned artists such as Hans Hartung, Paul Klee, and Vincent van Gogh, bringing new linguistic and chromatic dimensions to textile art, seamlessly blending tradition with innovation. She is often regarded as a pioneer in translating painting into textile narratives, combining ancient techniques with contemporary influences.

The exhibition features some of Berlinguer's most interesting tapestries, many of which come from private collections. Among the selected works are pieces inspired by notable artists, including “Aranceto” after Renato Guttuso, “Paesaggio” after Carlo Levi, “Hammamet” after Paul Klee, “Dai Cinque Monti” after Emilio Vedova, and “Gotica” after Santomaso. Exceptions include works conceptualized by Berlinguer herself, such as “Uccello di fuoco” from 1982 and “Primavera” from 1983. Most of these pieces are relatively unknown and have not been publicly displayed for a long time.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Superintendency for Cultural Heritage is presenting two works by Berlinguer from the Museum of Rome at Palazzo Braschi and the art collection of the Superintendency stored at the MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome. Additionally, the exhibition is enriched by the latest video interview with the artist from January 1994, directed by Maura Cosenza and filmed by Gianni De Santis. This footage is showcased through a collaboration with the International Center Antinoo for Art - Documentation Center Marguerite Yourcenar.

While Berlinguer's tapestries are inspired by the works of great masters, they are not mere replicas but genuine reinterpretations that reflect her unique flair and taste, always mediated by her worldview.

Berlinguer's tapestries represent a unique contribution to the cultural and historical context of her time, capturing the particularly creative milieu that characterized Rome in the post-war era. Niki was a witness to the Italian art scene of her time, narrating it through needle and thread, simple tools capable of creating works rooted in ancient knowledge.

This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity to rediscover Niki Berlinguer's vast body of work, which has been dispersed across numerous solo and group exhibitions over more than four decades, from 1952 until her passing in 1994.

Throughout her career, Niki Berlinguer maintained a vibrant sense of creative autonomy as a weaver, marked by her individuality and unique graphic alphabet. Her family affectionately called her “Ninna.” After marrying Mario in 1950, the father of Giovanni and Enrico, the famous secretary of the Italian Communist Party, she played a significant role in the lives of all her stepchildren. Bianca Berlinguer, the eldest daughter of Enrico, shared with her siblings and cousins the atmosphere created by such a unique “adoptive” grandmother, where all the grandchildren would gather for Sunday lunch, spending time with her as she wove her tapestries. Niki emerged in their lives as a surprisingly modern figure for her time, possessing a “free” and emancipated mindset that set her apart from the feminine conventions of her era. She successfully carved out her own audience and personal space, engaging with renowned artists and finding joy and fulfillment in her art. Her determination to realize her creativity led her to express herself through her tapestries.

Lorenzo Zichichi from “Il Cigno Arte” emphasized how wonderful it is to bring to light the rediscovery of a particularly creative world like post-war Rome, highlighting the significance of this remarkable exhibition.