Echoes. Origini e rimandi dell’art rock britannico (Echoes. Origins and references of British art rock)

Peter Gabriel is at the center of the exhibition Peter Gabriel. Fragmentation of Identity, hosted at the Art Pavilion of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati as the concluding chapter of the cycle Echoes. Origins and Resonances of British Art Rock.

The exhibition explores the artist’s complexity and multifaceted nature: the soul of Genesis in the early years and later the protagonist of an extraordinary solo career, Gabriel made the mask and transformation the distinctive hallmark of a journey where art, music, and society intertwine. As he himself declared in 1986: I firmly believe that the mask is a tool through which the artist can externalize certain parts of his personality, rather than a means to hide behind (Armando Gallo, Peter Gabriel, Photo G – One Love Production, Rome 1986).

The show presents the original Hipgnosis artwork for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) by Genesis, accompanied by correspondence between Gabriel and Storm Thorgerson, revealing the musician’s active role in creating a conceptual universe akin to the neo-avant-gardes. The journey continues with fine art prints signed by Thorgerson and Gabriel of the covers of Car (1977), Scratch (1978), and Melt (1980), the musician’s first three solo albums.

Alongside, stands out the intense close-up portrait of the artist’s face shot by his daughter Anna Gabriel, photographer and filmmaker, from the series EYE-D, a project in which the eyes of renowned personalities become intimate and powerful portraits, capable of conveying identity and emotions through a single detail.

A particular focus is devoted to the artist’s iconic disguises: from the fox-woman of Foxtrot (1972) to the visionary makeup of Shock the Monkey (1982), captured in a photo by Guido Harari taken at the Sanremo Festival 1983. These disguises embody the performative dimension of rock, which in the 1970s became increasingly theatrical and sophisticated, especially among bands deconstructing the codes of consumer society.

Alongside these materials, the exhibition introduces broader artistic references: from Man Ray’s photograph portraying Rrose Sélavy (1921), the female alter ego of Marcel Duchamp, to works by Keith Haring and Kiki Smith dedicated to the fragility of the human condition — anonymous and mechanical figures for Haring; transfigured and ambiguous bodies for Smith, between fairy tale and psychopathology.

Beyond progressive rock, it is glam rock that emerges as a space for collective reflection: an invitation to transform oneself and to question identity. Gabriel’s fragmented identity, composed of multiple parts emerging at different times, thus becomes a key to interpreting an artistic journey that would eventually lead him to “remove the mask” and confront human fragility in the postmodern era.

In the Museum atrium is a display of a selection of Peter Gabriel’s discography, alongside innovative multimedia and interactive projects on CD-ROM produced in the 1990s. Completing the installation are some original memorabilia, including a set of Lego figurines representing the famous characters created by the artist during his Genesis years: from the fox-woman of Foxtrot to the visionary figure of The Flower.

With this final chapter, the cycle Echoes. Origins and Resonances of British Art Rock comes to a close, which has previously presented two exhibitions: the first dedicated to the Beatles, and the second to the psychedelic imagery linked to the bands Yes, Genesis, and Pink Floyd. Curated by Francesco Spampinato, the project highlights the cultural and social significance of a phenomenon born from the synergies between rock, avant-garde art, and visual communication in 1960s and 1970s Britain.

Radio Monte Carlo is the official radio station of Echoes. Origins and references of British art rock. For the occasion, music designer Marco Fullone has composed a dedicated playlist inspired by the exhibition's content and the album covers referenced, available free of charge on the radio station's Spotify channel and on display via QR Code.

The selected tracks belong to artists who are loved worldwide: from the unique sound of The Beatles to the prog rock of Pink Floyd, Yes, and Genesis, which blends with the images of Roger Dean or the Hipgnosis studio, to the exploration of the integration between rock, electronic, and world music that characterized Peter Gabriel's solo career. Musical suggestions that this exhibition and the accompanying playlist collect and amplify in a unique journey.

The exhibition cycle is accompanied by a publication by Francesco Spampinato, published by Fondazione Luigi Rovati.

With the patronage of the Department of Arts of the University of Bologna.

INFORMATION

The Beatles. The Myth Beyond Fame
April 17 – June 8

Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis. New Perceptions of Reality
June 14 – July 27

Peter Gabriel. Fragmentation of Identity
September 3 – October 26

Fondazione Luigi Rovati
Art Pavilion
Free admission
Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM