The secret faces of the Mona Lisa on show in Maccagno
Ponte degli Artisti (Bridge of Artists) looks at Leonardo’s immortal masterpiece from a modern perspective

The exhibition dedicated to the legendary painting and to "the secret faces of the Mona Lisa" will be held from 7 December to 8 March, 2020 at the Parisi Valle di Maccagno Museum con Pino e Veddasca.
This exhibit, organized by the Milanese association Ponte degli Artisti “la scaletta dell’arte” (Artists' Bridge "the art ladder") and relentlessly pursued by its founder Savi Arbola Appiani, has been conceived as various parts that interact with one another, with video installations and exhibitions of forty artists who celebrate and offer a contemporary view of Leonardo’s creativity, originality and genius.
A noteworthy replica of the Mona Lisa especially made to be enjoyed by blind people will also be displayed.

"We are down to the wire, but we are happy to host in our museum this exhibit conceived by Ponte degli Artisti to remember Leonardo Da Vinci, the greatest genius of the Italian Renaissance, in the 500th anniversary of his death, “ Says Mayor Fabio Passera.
“There is another reason to celebrate the launch of this exhibition,” the Mayor continues, "The story (or is it a legend?) of the ‘Mona Lisa’ has an extraordinary connection with our Municipality. Vincenzo and Michele Lancillotti, two brothers from Cadero, allegedly stole the famous painting from the Louvre and hid it in their native town. So Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca’s history is somewhat intertwined with that of Leonardo's work, thus making us feel that we are at least a tiny part of it".

But that's not all: On the occasion of the inauguration - which will be held on Saturday, 7 December at 5.30 pm - Silvano Vinceti (president of the National Committee for the preservation and appreciation of Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage) will give a lecture titled “Theft of the Mona Lisa. A fake in the Louvre?”. The lecture will start at 4:00 pm at Punto D’Incontro – on Via Valsecchi (inside the Auditorium’s building). This will be a great chance to explore in depth the history of one of the most iconic paintings ever.
Mona Lisa has been used symbolically by a number of contemporary artists, such as Dadaist painter Marcel Duchamp, who turned her into one of his provocative works by adding a mustache to a reproduction of the painting. Andy Warhol used her as the subject of mass-produced posters, while Banksy made a "mujaheddin" version of the Gioconda, with rocket launchers on her shoulder. Botero painted it as a plump woman, while Basquiat turned her into a scathing icon with a sinister smile.
Finally, the Mona Lisa has also appeared innumerable times in cinema, music, television and advertising. A particularly meaningful example comes from Italian singer-songwriter Ivan Graziani, who - inspired by the theft of the painting - composed the song "Monna Lisa" (1979, on the album “Pigro”). The protagonist hides in the museum after closing time and finds himself face to face with the most famous portrait in the world.

“The secret faces of the Mona Lisa”
From 7 December 2019 to 8 March 2020
Free admission
Civic Museum Parisi Valle, via L. Giampaolo 1
Maccagno with Pino and Veddasca (Varese)
Inauguration in the museum: Saturday 7 December 2019 - 5.30 pm
Opening hours: Fridays from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 am to 12.00 am and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm

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