Arielle Saiber (Johns Hopkins) | ‘Che va di notte che porta il lume indietro’: Three Contemporary Artists Illuminating Dantean Paths Through Difficult Times

Faculty Lounge, Fisher Bennett Hall

This is a drawing in black and white, with 6 yellow ares in the shape of circles spread out across the image. The image itself is of two human beings on the left, a flying bird towards the upper right, and a small standing creature to the right of the people. They are all standing next to a dark river, on their right, with seven tall trees with some leaves on them in the background. The people are dressed in robes. The person on the left is bald with a wreath on their head. The person to the right has a third eye, long hair tied with a few bands into a long ponytail, that goes down close to the ground. This person is also holding a scale as well in their left hand, and the scale falls within a yellow circle, so it stands out in the image. The creature to the right of the people is standing on two small feet with a short, oval shaped body. It has feathers that stick out in intervals along its body. Its face is long like that of a deer. The bird above the creature looks like a bird of pray, possibly an eagle, and is facing left. It has all dark feathers with large extended wings. It has clawed feet, two of which are holding eyeballs that are ejecting tears into the sky.

“Che va di notte che porta il lume indietro: Three Contemporary Artists Illuminating Dantean Paths Through Difficult Times: Maru Ceballos (Buenos Aires), Kat Mustatea (NYC), Kazumasa Chiba (Tokyo).”

Innumerable are the works of art inspired by the  Commedia that hybridize Dante’s journey with the artist’s own.  Dante’s Pilgrim has never, in fact, been everyone’s “everyman.”  And rightly so.  This presentation introduces three contemporary artists—Maru Ceballos (Buenos Aires), Kat Mustatea (NYC), and Kazumasa Chiba (Tokyo)—who engage Dante’s itinerary in striking and radically different ways.  Each will share their work through a brief video made for this event.  Their imagery is not easy to view.  Their explorations of environmental disaster, societal degradation, pain, and a global pandemic are disturbing, yet important viewing for Italianists working today, as we continue to point to the transformative gifts literature offers the world.  May we all be as courageous to move through difficult times as Dante and these artists have.

Some graphic images might not be appropriate for younger viewers.