The Nicola Del Roscio Foundation presents an exhibition in Rome dedicated to Etel Adnan (Beirut, 1925 - Paris, 2021), one of the most original and cosmopolitan figures in contemporary culture. A poet, writer, essayist, and visual artist, Adnan created a body of work that deeply intertwines writing and imagery, spanning diverse languages, cultures, and disciplines.
The exhibition coincides with the publication-for the first time in Italian-of four important essays by Etel Adnan, produced by the Nicola Del Roscio Foundation in collaboration with Skira. The texts were selected by the exhibition's curator, Jonas Storsve, in collaboration with Simone Fattal.
At the heart of the exhibition is Adnan's writing: a wide selection of her publications is on display, testifying to a literary output characterized by a strong political and civic dimension and translated into numerous languages.
Alongside the books, the exhibition showcases her work as a painter, featuring approximately sixty watercolors and drawings on paper, as well as several leporellos (accordion-fold books) and a monumental tapestry. Drawn from the artist's estate, the majority of these works have never been exhibited before; they document the extraordinary exploration of color that Adnan developed from the 1960s onwards.
Born in Beirut and educated in Paris and the United States, Adnan lived between Lebanon, California, and Paris, maintaining a deeply international identity throughout her life. She gained widespread recognition as a visual artist at Documenta(13) in 2012. Today, her works are held in major international public collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, MoMA in New York, Mathaf in Doha, and the Tate in London.
The exhibition thus offers a comprehensive portrait of Etel Adnan as both writer and artist, highlighting the unique relationship between word, memory, culture, and color that defines her work. A project by the Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio, realized in collaboration with Skira and Simone Fattal, with thanks to Galerie Lelong.
The exhibition coincides with the publication-for the first time in Italian-of four important essays by Etel Adnan, produced by the Nicola Del Roscio Foundation in collaboration with Skira. The texts were selected by the exhibition's curator, Jonas Storsve, in collaboration with Simone Fattal.
At the heart of the exhibition is Adnan's writing: a wide selection of her publications is on display, testifying to a literary output characterized by a strong political and civic dimension and translated into numerous languages.
Alongside the books, the exhibition showcases her work as a painter, featuring approximately sixty watercolors and drawings on paper, as well as several leporellos (accordion-fold books) and a monumental tapestry. Drawn from the artist's estate, the majority of these works have never been exhibited before; they document the extraordinary exploration of color that Adnan developed from the 1960s onwards.
Born in Beirut and educated in Paris and the United States, Adnan lived between Lebanon, California, and Paris, maintaining a deeply international identity throughout her life. She gained widespread recognition as a visual artist at Documenta(13) in 2012. Today, her works are held in major international public collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, MoMA in New York, Mathaf in Doha, and the Tate in London.
The exhibition thus offers a comprehensive portrait of Etel Adnan as both writer and artist, highlighting the unique relationship between word, memory, culture, and color that defines her work. A project by the Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio, realized in collaboration with Skira and Simone Fattal, with thanks to Galerie Lelong.