“International Pop” at The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Remember the 1960s?  As the New Times art critic Holland Cotter wrote in his review of “International Pop” exhibit:  “Absolutely I remember, and the show —brash, manic and acid-tinged — took me right back there.”  We can tell you, that Cotter was absolutely right!

Mimmo Rotella "Hot Marilyn"

Mimmo Rotella “Hot Marilyn”

International Pop navigates a fast-paced world packed with bold and thought-provoking imagery, revealing a vibrant period shaped by social, political, and cultural changes. The exhibition chronicles Pop art’s emergence as an international movement, migrating from the UK and the US to western and eastern Europe, Latin America, and Japan. Although Pop arose in distinct forms within each region, artists expressed a shared interest in mass media, consumerism, and figuration.Focusing on work made from 1956 to 1972, the exhibition presents Pop art as a movement that is at turns celebratory, critical, and probing in its message. It reveals the energetic exchange that contributed to a reimagining of art’s relationship to societies in flux. American and British Pop is presented alongside lesser known but equally potent examples from Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Slovakia, Japan, and other creative centers.With 150 works, including paintings, sculptures, prints, collage, assemblage, installation, film, and ephemera, the exhibition highlights influential artists from twenty different countries. Among them are Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, and Ed Ruscha (US); Richard Hamilton, Pauline Boty, Peter Blake, and Clive Barker (UK); Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, and Konrad Lueg (Germany); Ushio Shinohara, Keiichi Tanaami, and Osamu Tezuka (Japan); Hélio Oiticica, Wanda Pimentel, and Antonio Dias (Brazil); and Marta Minujín, Dalila Puzzovio, and Edgardo Giménez (Argentina).international-pop_tano-festa-8702

Message from Italian Ambassador Armando Varricchio to the Italian Community

On March 2, 2016, Armando Varricchio, the new Italian Ambassador to the United States, presented his credentials to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  He replaces Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, who is now Italy’s Permanent Representative to NATO.
Following the presentation of his credentials, Ambassador Varricchio issued the following message:  

armando-varricchio-01Upon taking the helm of the Italian Embassy in the United States, I wish to extend my most cordial greetings to my fellow Italians, to the elected representatives of Italy in the United States, to the community of Italian origin, and to those who recognize themselves – ideally and culturally – in Italy. It is thanks to you that today the long-standing bond between our Peoples is stronger than ever.

Italy and the US are friends – and allies. We are committed to promoting a future based on freedom, prosperity and peace. We work very closely on matters of international security, protecting human rights and gender equality, promoting economic growth, opening markets, safeguarding the environment and supporting the work of the United Nations. We stand side-by-side in areas of crisis, and are in constant touch both on a bilateral level and in multilateral fora, starting with the Atlantic Alliance.

This enduring alliance is enriched daily with culture, innovation, and high-tech. Our language is a powerful tool which promotes Italy’s unparalleled cultural heritage and also enhances our forward-looking Country’s natural propensity to creativity and inventiveness – in short, to the future.

I am honored to serve my country in the United States. Together with my colleagues and the entire consular network, I will spare no efforts to further strengthen our close ties. Above all, I know that my mission will be made all the easier with your invaluable support.armando-varricchio-02