International study conference: “Ogni costruzione è fatta di frammenti (M. Schwob)” – Mosaico, architettura e spazio pubblico nel XX e XXI secolo
International study conference 28-29 November 2025
As part of the 9th Biennial of Contemporary Mosaic, two days of discussions focusing on the evolution of this ancient technique within the built environment, from the first modern experiments to the most recent site-specific works.
Curated by Alberto Giorgio Cassani, architecture historian and lecturer at the Ravenna State Academy of Fine Arts, the conference is organised by MAR and the Ravenna State Academy of Fine Arts.
The title refers to a quote by Marcel Schwob, emphasising the compositional and “fragmentary” nature shared by mosaics and architecture.
The programme explores different aspects of this relationship: from the expressionist experiences of Gaudí, Rodia, Isidore, Hundertwasser, Niki de Saint Phalle and O’Gorman, to the ideological interpretations of the 20th century, to the critical approaches of the post-war period with figures such as Lucio Fontana and Mario Deluigi, the latter in dialogue with architect Carlo Scarpa.
The concluding presentations on Saturday are dedicated to Scarpa and Deluigi, accompanied by an image chosen for the conference: a famous photograph by Guido Guidi of the Brion Tomb.
Speakers will include internationally renowned scholars such as Giovanni Bianchi, Guglielmo Bilancioni, Ermanno Carbonara, Giovanna Cassese, Anna Caterino, Gabriella Cianciolo Cosentino, Maurizio Corrado, Chiara Curti, Francesco Dal Co, Simone Feneri, Edgardo Franzosini, Louise Noelle Gras, Guido Guidi, Lucia Pesapane, Giovanna Riu, Marco Santi, Claudia Tedeschi.
The institutional greetings will be given by Fabio Sbaraglia, Roberto Cantagalli, Paola Babini and Daniele Torcellini.
Friday 28th November morning
9:30 – institutional speeches
Fabio Sbaraglia, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Ravenna
Roberto Cantagalli, Director MAR – Ravenna Art Museum
Paola Babini, Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna
Daniele Torcellini | cademy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, Curator of the Biennial of Contemporary Mosaic.
Chaired the conference: Alberto Giorgio Cassani
10:00 – Prolusione di Giovanna Cassese | Academy of Fine Arts in Naples Mosaico, simbolo di complessità contemporanea e medium privilegiato per gli spazi pubblici del XXI secolo
10:30 – Chiara Curti | Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià di Barcellona Trencadís, l’anima del Park Güell. Dall’imperfetto alla gioia (da remoto)
11:00 – Guglielmo Bilancioni |Architectural historian Simon Rodia. Frammento e performance
11:30 – Edgardo Franzosini | Writer and translator Picassiette, i frammenti di una vita (da remoto)
12:00 –Maurizio Corrado | Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia Friedensreich Hundertwasser, l ’architettura come mosaico
12:30 – Lucia Pesapane | Art historian Il Giardino dei Tarocchi e il Queen Califia’s Magical Circle di Niki de Saint Phalle
13:00 – Discussion
Friday 28th November afternoon
Chaired the conference: Guglielmo Bilancioni
15:00 – Giovanna Riu | Critic La parabola creativa-musiva degli artisti Fillia e Prampolini nell’ambito del Movimento Futurista alla Spezia
15:30 – Gabriella Cianciolo Cosentino | Department of Architectural History, Institute of Art History, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Köln II mosaici del Terzo Reich: architettura, decorazionee propaganda (da remoto)
16:00 – Louise Noelle Gras | Art historian Juan O’Gorman’s Stone Mosaics, a bold and innovative proposal (da remoto)
16:30 – Claudia Tedeschi | Senior Expert in Cultural Heritage Conservation Arte pubblica, tradizione e modernità: Gino Severini e i mosaici del Tribunale di Milano
17:00 – Ermanno Carbonara | Restorer Le Watts Towers a Los Angeles: il viaggio di Simon Rodia fra tecnica e prodigio (da remoto)
17:30 – Discussion
18:30 – Tour to Chagall in mosaico. Dal progetto all’opera
Saturday 29th November morning
Chaired the conference: Daniele Torcellini
9:30 – Anna Caterino, Marco Santi | Gruppo Mosaicisti di Marco Santi Il mosaico che vive lo spazio: dalla superficie alla scultura
10:00 – Simone Feneri | Independent researcher, formerly of the University of Milan Mosaici a Milano nel secondo Novecento: un itinerario tra arte e architettura
10:30 – Giovanni Bianchi | Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padua I mosaici di Mario Deluigi
11:00 – Francesco Dal Co | Professor Emeritus of History of Architecture Carlo Scarpa. La materialità del colore
11:30 – Nelle scarpe di Scarpa. Guido Guidi | Photographere Francesco Dal Co on the photographic interpretation of the works of Carlo Scarpa by Guido Guidi
12:00 – Alberto Giorgio Cassani | Ravenna Academy of Fine Arts Dio è nel dettaglio. I mosaici nell’architettura di Carlo Scarpa
12:30 – Discussione
Saturday 29th November afternoon
15:00 – Documentary: Il Padiglione sull’Acqua (2023), direction by Stefano Croci e Silvia Siberini (duration: 77 minutes)
Event location
MAR – Ravenna Art Museum | Sala Martini
Via di Roma 13 48121 Ravenna