September brings with it a packed programme of cultural events, culminating in Pordenonelegge, the festival that bathes the city centre’s streets in a yellow glow, attracting thousands of visitors, including readers, authors and industry professionals. To mark the occasion, the City Council has decided to expand its cultural offering to ensure the best possible welcome for those visiting Pordenone during the festival:
Galleria Harry Bertoia
Inge Morath. My Stories – A photographic exhibition dedicated to the first woman to join the prestigious Magnum Photos agency and a leading figure in 20th-century photojournalism. The exhibition reveals a previously unseen aspect of her artistic output: her portraits of the literary world, a lesser-known yet fundamental dimension of her work. During Pordenonelegge, the exhibition will have extended opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 10.00 pm (open all day), and on Sundays from 8.30 am to 8.00 pm, with reduced-price admission.
Artificial Intelligence – This innovative section, organised by Pordenonelegge, will enable the public to learn about and experience artificial intelligence first-hand through talks, presentations of essays and specialist publications, and by exploring a real ‘cyber space’ exhibition area.
Museo di Storia Naturale “Silvia Zenari”
"In and out of the water. The intertidal environment of the Upper Adriatic" – Organisms in the intertidal environment face complex daily challenges and have developed extraordinary adaptations to survive. Through a rich collection of photographs and numerous museum exhibits, the exhibition depicts a unique landscape of rocks and sand that is constantly shaped by the action of the waves and the tidal range. The exhibition is curated by Lorenzo Peter Castelletto, a nature photographer and science communicator at the Miramare Marine Protected Area. During the Pordenonelegge festival, the Museum will be open from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00. Free admission.
Museo Civico d’Arte
Icons of Art – The collaboration between Pordenone City Council and the Naonis Cultural Association continues in support of the “Mosaic Young Talent” project, with an exhibition of works by young talents from the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli. A selection of mosaic portraits depicting contemporary pop icons, bridging the gap between a millennia-old tradition and contemporary artistic languages. From Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 September, from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00. Free admission.
Public Library
Toni Buso. Windows and Visions. Listening to Dante and Fabrizio De André – A pictorial journey that weaves together Dante’s verses, Fabrizio De André’s songs and the evocative power of colour, which the artist translates into abstract and symbolic images, where spirals, circles, letters and numbers intertwine against backgrounds rich in light. The almost childlike brushstroke blends with a precise symbolic composition that captures the sincerity of the gesture, the desire to entrust art with a function that is not only aesthetic, but also ethical and spiritual.
Michelangelo: Art, Genius, Eternity – The Pordenone Philatelic and Numismatic Centre is hosting an exhibition of national significance dedicated to Michelangelo in the library cloister to mark the 550th anniversary of his birth. It has been curated by Prof. Fabrizio Fabrini, a university lecturer from Florence. To mark the Pordenonelegge festival, the library will also be open on Sunday 21 September. Free entry.
Casa del Mutilato
Humans. What does it mean to be human? – The sculptures created by Alessandra Aita, using wood gathered from the banks of the River Tagliamento, in their deliberate incompleteness, reveal a humanity that is perhaps not entirely lost, but in a state of constant transformation. In a frenetic and fragmented age, this is an invitation to pause and rediscover, through art, what it truly means to be human. Curated by the Agorà Association. During the Pordenonelegge festival, the exhibition will be open daily from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00. Free admission.
Palazzo del Fumetto
The Mark of Magnus – From Alan Ford to Tex – The exhibition celebrates the great comic artist through almost 600 panels on display, including the 224 originals from the legendary *Texone*, shown in their entirety for the first time.
Paco Roca. The Power of Memory – The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through some forty original illustrations by the famous Spanish cartoonist, who has made the theme of the struggle against oblivion one of his defining stylistic features, earning him worldwide fame. From 17 to 21 September, open from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm, non-stop.
Alberto Parigi, Councillor for Culture: “Once again this year, we are continuing the cultural strategy launched in recent years, which aims to significantly enrich the city’s exhibition programme to make the experience of visitors coming to the city during Pordenonelegge even more engaging. During the festival, all our exhibition venues will have extended opening hours, allowing a wider audience to enjoy the cultural events on the programme. In particular,” adds Councillor Parigi, - “The Bertoia Gallery will be a major landmark, operating at full capacity with two outstanding exhibitions spread across its various floors: the exhibition dedicated to the renowned photographer Inge Morath – a preview of the new photography season, on which we will provide further details shortly – and an innovative space dedicated to artificial intelligence, featuring interactive and multimedia installations. This latter exhibition, organised in close collaboration with Pordenonelegge, will also host numerous themed events, transforming the Gallery into a true cultural laboratory where art, technology and literature come together.”