A centre and a park
dedicated to
art and our artistic heritage.
ARTEXPLORA
Artexplora's
ideas and goals
The heart of the project is the creation of a center of regional and European relevance, in order to educate people to admire and to enhance art, from the works kept in museums and historic artistic sites, up to contemporary art. The center focuses on the strong relationship between the following objectives:
- Research, planning and experimenting of new paths aiming at attracting, entertaining and educating people on issues related to art. Such paths shall encompass active participation and are targeted at different age groups, using a variety of languages, games and operational structure.
- Training of professionals able to suggest an operational, animated, narrative relationship with the works or art; this training area also targets the expansion of vocational training of teachers, museum operators, professionals and animators working in the social service sector, university students, university research and experiment departments.
- The enhancement of museums, art galleries, historical, artistic and architectural sites as well as public and private art collections.
- The enhancement of contemporary artists and works of art.
- The planning and production of active exhibitions, educational paths and tools, games, books, catalogues, virtual productions, video productions, theatre, events.
- Strong focus on the territory aiming at enhancing the historical, architectural heritage, with special focus also on temporary exhibitions and important events; the promotion of contemporary artists
- The development of school tourism from other regions and European countries, with proposals of activities and paths also in English, Spanish and French.
The different areas impact and influence one another, so that researches, experiences and productions in one area are transferred to another area and benefit from an ongoing exchange of experience.
A peculiar aspect of this thematic park, making it somehow unique in Italy and Europe, is given by its ludic structures and by the great works-games which have been installed in the park and which have been conceived and developed in order to enable visitors to discover masterpieces, themes, poems, aesthetic, historical and critical contents, art movements in an unusually enjoyable way.
Artexplora is a centre of European relevance for the documentation and information materials, for the dialogue and cooperation with professionals and innovative and advanced educational situations of European countries, for the cooperation with public bodies, with the University, with artists and private bodies.
A new Mission
S. Lucia di Cesena, a renowned site of artistic, historical, architectural and landscape value, with its adjacent tool shelter and stables, has now become a thematic park aiming at attracting people to art and to our artistic heritage: an innovative approach in virtue of its methods, the originality of the educational paths and ludic instruments, being a unique example at national and European level.
Hence, S. Lucia is once again open to the public with a “mission” having a strong cultural entertainment imprint: with projects aimed at children and teens, projects for schools and families, for the training of teachers and professionals, projects aimed at enhancing our artistic and territorial heritage, particularly the Italian one, projects with artists, encompassing an ongoing dialogue between art and the location, nature, the human contemporaneity and the territory.
It is right into S. Lucia di Cesena and into this project that the Clac group has transferred all its knowledge and its experience of over thirty years, as well as its creations, inventions and productions developed over the time for Italian and European museums, art cities, regional and provincial bodies, public and private foundations. The concentration of these cultural, environmental and operational resources in S. Lucia allows the group to operate with better quality, efficiency and effectiveness, in cooperation with the territory and its private and public institutions.
OUR STORy
Founded in 1975, Clac Group give life
to Artexplora Cultural Association in 2009 to bring
creative labs, interactive exhibitions, seminars,
theatre show and art performances
to Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Il gruppo Clac
In 2009 the Clac group founded the cultural association Artexplora, which opened its centre in the marvellous architectural site of S. Lucia di Cesena, well known for its beautiful scenery: a thematic park aiming at bringing children, teens, teachers, families and professionals closer to the artistic heritage of our country.
The group was founded in 1975 by Claudio Cavalli and Lucietta Godi; its work is geared towards kindergarten and compulsory education through the production of research experiments, theatre creations, active exhibitions and cultural activities.
From 1983 to 1994, Claudio Cavalli was the author and actor/narrator of 9 theatre shows for thousands of repeat performances staged mostly in Central and Northern Italy, including Incanto di un Vecchio Pianoforte for La Scala Opera House.
Lucietta Godi directed the theatre review of Ragazzi di Arcore (MI) for 23 editions. Between 1983 and 1988, Claudio and Lucietta directed a theatre school for children and kids.
From 1990 to 1994 Claudio Cavalli was among the authors of Albero Azzurro, a children TV show broadcasted by Rai 1 and 2, for 500 episodes and three home video series; Cavalli also appeared on video to tell stories and the Clac group wrote and developed the set of over 100 short films, broadcasted as part of the same TV program.
In 1995 Claudio and Lucietta invented Breragioca, an animated ludic and educational paths on Brera’s masterpieces; as from 1996 the project became a permanent feature of the Brera Art Gallery in Milan, involving every year hundreds of students' classes in the Lombardy region.
In 1998 the group gave birth to ArteinGioco, an international event which took place in Arcore (MI) throughout seven editions. The project involved laboratories, interactive exhibitions, seminars, performances and shows on arts and the artistic heritage for kids, schools and professionals.
In 1993 the Clac group launched an educational project, headed by Leila Cavalli. The project, called Fare tv a scuola (“making TV at school”) sets up video development laboratories for kindergardens, as well as primary and secondary schools and introduces children and teens to the video production activity; in 1997 the group staged Occhio in Camera, an itinerating interactive exhibition on television literacy and TV set, an itinerating TV studio. Together with the Clac team, Leila Cavalli developed television studios for kids and schools in Udine, as part of the Teatro&Scuola project, sponsored by ERT, Ente Teatrale del Friuli.
In 1999 Lara Cavalli joined the group, in charge of organising art ludic paths for children.
In 2000 Claudio and Lucietta developed the project 100 Capolavori, 100 Giochi (100 masterpieces, 100 games): 3 large active and itinerating exhibitions, with great masterpieces, games and paths to bring children and teens closer to the works of the great painters of the 18th-20th Century: the exhibitions reached over 100,000 kids and about 20,000 teachers and adults.
The same year, the group planned and developed a multi-thematic series of scenographies and ludic structures for the educational department of the Bernareggi Museum in Bergamo and in 2005 another series on the paintings of the Municipal Art Gallery in Cesena.
In 2003 Claudio Cavalli produced the show Racconti della Genesi (Genesis Tales), story and set-up.
Since 2004, Lara has been responsible for the management and the organisation of laboratories and workshops related to the exhibitions, the art gallery, 100 Capolavori, 100 Giochi, and the projects with the Council of Cesena.
From 2006 the group has organised and managed L'occhio sorpreso, (third edition in 2009) for the Council of Cesena: a journey through the themes and poetics of contemporary art with artists who first create their works at schools and then coordinate artworks with children at kindergarden up to teens at high schools.
Since the early ‘80s the group has been carrying out training and laboratory activities for teachers, professionals, educators and art facilitators.
The Exhibition
Exhibitions with active paths and laboratories, staged for long periods in museums and exhibition palaces.
In Italy:
At Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) (MI), at the Museo di arte moderna (Museum of modern art) in Lissone, at Museo Bernareggi in Bergamo, at the Ambrosetti Foundation in Palazzolo sull’Oglio (BG), at Museo degli affreschi at the Frugarolo Castle in Alessandria, at Museo Pellizza in Volpedo (AL), at Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza, at Foro Boario in Modena, at St. Paul’s Church in Modena, at Museo Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, at Palazzo di Stella o dell’Assassino in Ferrara, at the Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea (Museum of modern and contemporary art) in Copparo (FE), at Loggetta Lombardesca in Ravenna, at Pinacoteca Comunale (municipal art gallery) in Cesena, at the Holy Spirit Church in Cesena, at Museo d’arte moderna (Museum of modern art) in Udine, at Museo Revoltella in Trieste, at Villa Manin of the Friuli Region, at Villa Galvani in Pordenone, at Museo internazionale della ceramica di Faenza (the international museum of Faenza ceramics) (RA), at Museo delle Cappuccine in Bagnacavallo (RA), at Museo Barbella in Chieti.
Moreover, in the following councils: in Florence at Festival della creatività, in Scandicci at Centro Onnicomprensivo, in Melfi (PZ), in Brignano (BG) at Castello Sforzesco, in Villasanta (MI), in Monza, at Arteingioco in Arcore (MI), in Villadossola's Council Theatre, in Villa Giulia di Verbania, in Omegna at the Gianni Rodari Centre, at Cesenatico Council's Theatre (FC), in Bari at Museo del Giocattolo.
Abroad:
at the Irg Centre in Lugano, at Musée en herbe in Bellinzona, at Museu Maritim in Barcelona, at La Caixa Foundation in Granoillers (Catalunia).
S.Lucia:
The Site & The Facilitaties
The church, of neoclassical architecture, with spaces of large formal balance and a floor area of about 150 sq. m. is the place for art exhibitions and paths through the art works. It is also a meeting place, an area dedicated to entertainment, conferences, training, conventions, small concerts and shows; it is equipped with best-of-breed IT and network audio video digital technologies, as well as with a professional installation for video editing, digital animation and image processing.
The old sacristy currently holds a specialised library, with over 1000 art books, including a special section with editorial publications for children and teens and a selection of books in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.
A specialised video library will soon be set up next to the library, offering a collection of the most interesting video art works, documentaries and fictions on artists and art movements. It will also host all the video productions (documentaries, fictions, documentation of courses, meetings and events, animated and research films) made directly by Artexplora-S. Lucia. The bar is located right in the library, for a pleasant entertainment during events and exhibitions.
Below the choir, next to the library, is the book shop, offering editorial publications, creations, works of art and gadgets mostly made by Artexplora or by the Clac group. The old rectory, located next to the church entrance is currently used as an office and reception. The rectory’s ground floor area also includes toilets, one of which for disabled people, and a filing space.
Two rooms at ground floor are used as laboratories and as toy and leisure library. Besides hosting the games invented by the group, the toy and leisure library will also host some among the most interesting games from the bookshops of museums and art galleries of other countries. The park, extending over an area of about two hectares, will be equipped with facilities, works of art, large installations with works of art-theme games.
The surrounding land will be kept in full respect of nature and will be planted with trees, flowers, different kinds of plants and shall be progressively structured in a way as to create a dialogue between nature, installations and works of art. The latest technologies enable at all time to share all the information, archive, library, project and network resources, anywhere on the premises.