Trieste, Magris and Alzheimer’s: a possible combination

May 17th, 2011 No Comments

The exhibition “The Trieste of Magris” has to be visited in company.

The exhibition “The Trieste of Magris” has to be visited with at least three of the five senses: sight, hearing and touch.

If this is the case, even though the exhibition deals with an Italian city little known on the tourist circuit and a writer, Claudio Magris, who is not very widely read, everyone leaves the gallery having had a unique experience. “Everyone” means everyone—Alzheimer’s sufferers, too.

Last October, the CCCB started a programme of visits to our exhibitions for Alzheimer’s sufferers, and their families and carers. The experience began with “Through Labyrinths”, which we talked about in this blog.

In the case of “The Trieste of Magris”, the three of us responsible for this initiative thought twice. The combination of Trieste, Magris and Alzheimer’s seemed to be impossible.

It was actually quite the opposite. The fantastic montage of the exhibition by Italian architect Paola Navone, perfectly interpreting the guidelines of the curator, Giorgio Pressburger, played a big part.

The exhibition layout is a journey around the principal places in the city of Trieste, past and present. It is an invitation to get to know the intellectuals who lived, worked and created there. It is a walk around the places in the city that Magris describes in his books.

The Alzheimer’s sufferers who accompanied us on this journey were open to feeling, listening, debating, questioning, laughing and getting excited. And excitement is infectious.

Yes, the exhibition “The Trieste of Magris” has to be visited in company—especially if the company is that good!

Photographs of the visit: Irene Ruiz Auret

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