COSA è Arte?

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Press Release

LoveItaly presents “COSA E’ ARTE”

an art competition for the talents of the new generation

LoveItaly, nonprofit association for the protection and protection of Italy’s cultural heritage, presents the art competition created by iuvart in collaboration with the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere and Bettoja Hotels. The competition, aimed at students and recent graduates of Fine Arts Academies and Art Institutes in Italy, calls for the creation of visual artworks exploring the concept of the relationship between art and the public – understood as interest or disinterest towards the artwork – as a fundamental element for civic involvement in the safeguarding of cultural heritage.

The application deadline is Nov. 15; applicants should complete the appropriate form on the LoveItaly website (below) and follow the instructions (www.loveitaly.org).

The finalist artworks will be on display in Rome for the month of March 2024 at the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere. “The Foundation has always aimed at supporting artistic research and experimentation, with a special focus on young people as key players in the process of change and innovation. The competition we are launching today represents a window of opportunity for emerging artists, it allows us to get closer to the new and future generations” commented Flavio Misciattelli, President Fondazione Pastificio Cerere.

The winners will receive a prize of a stay in Rome with exclusive access to art galleries and visits organized in collaboration with the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere .

The award ceremony will be held in April 2024 in Rome in the evocative Deco setting of the Hotel Bettoja Mediterraneo. “The love for art is a source of inspiration and guidance for us in the care and preservation of our hotels; a love that we wanted to convey to our clients by emphasizing the architectural style of our facilities and encouraging the exhibition of works by Italian artists. By hosting the award ceremony of the competition, the lobby of the Hotel Mediterraneo will be a place for artistic enjoyment and interaction with the public, as well as a theater for comparing the different perspectives that in complementary ways define a work of Art” said Massimo Bettoja, owner of Bettoja Hotels.

In conclusion, Prof. Richard Hodges, President of LoveItaly stated, “Young people are the best resource we have for preserving and developing our cultural heritage. Indeed, this is something that our association is aware of and that is why our organization has always supported its youth group in carrying out initiatives aimed at the younger generation such as the competition that we are proud to promote today.”

Fondazione Pastificio Cerere was founded in Rome in 2004 by its president, Flavio Misciattelli, with the aim of promoting and promulgating works within the field of contemporary art. In 2005 it inaugurated its headquarters inside what was once the Pastificio Cerere, a former pasta factory built in 1905 and active until the post-World War II period. With the intention of preserving this great cultural heritage, the Foundation has allowed users free access to a space devoted to contemporary art through a rich proposal of meetings, exhibitions and workshops. With the appointment of Marcello Smarrelli as artistic director in 2011, the Foundation has developed an increasing interest in artistic practices related to issues of cultural and territorial policy, public and participatory art projects, and innovative educational programs, through the establishment of scholarships for residencies for young artists and curators and activities for students .

The Bettoja family has been welcoming guests from all over the world to its three Roman hotels in the heart of the city’s historic center since 1875: Hotels Massimo d’Azeglio, Mediterraneo and Atlantico are large, comfortable structures created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Located within walking distance of Termini station, on the central Via Cavour, the hotels retain their original charm and are constantly being renovated. Of the three, Hotel Massimo d’Azeglio is the oldest and is characterized by a distinctive fin de siècle style appreciated over the years by many distinguished guests, such as Pietro Mascagni, General Diaz, Louis Armstrong and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Hotel Mediterraneo, listed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage for its historical and architectural value, has an elegant atmosphere thanks to the Deco furnishings lovingly preserved by the Bettoja Family. Designed in 1938 by architect Mario Loreti, the hotel stands atop the Esquiline Hill. The 11-story monumental building in the Rationalist style is the tallest building in the historic city center of Rome.