L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano S p r i n g i s f i n a l l y here, and not only per the official cal- e n d a r b u t a l s o , a n d m o s t l y , thanks to warm temperatures and sunny days across the B a y A r e a a n d C a l i f o r n i a . W i t h i t , t h e r e a r e m a n y events, exhibitions, and spe- cial moments: from arts and opera to food and business, this month is bringing many good excuses to leave the house and enjoy the season. With the SFOpera cele- brating its 100th anniversary, the Museo Italo-Ameri- cano hosted an event for the SFOpera Board on the occa- sion of the opening of a new exhibit. BRAVO is the exhi- bition that honors the Italian roots and legacy of the San F r a n c i s c o O p e r a , w i t h a n original documentary spon- sored by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation. As the company c e l e b r a t e s i t s 2 0 2 2 - 2 0 2 3 Centennial Season, San Fran- cisco's Italian community played an important role in creating the institution and fostering the art of opera in our city. BRAVO takes visi- tors on a journey through the d e c a d e s s t a r t i n g w i t h t h e Gold Rush and continuing on to the period before the for- mation of the Opera compa- n y . D i d a c t i c p a n e l s , p h o - t o g r a p h s , m e m o r a b i l i a , m u s i c , a n d v i d e o c o n t e n t allow everyone to learn about the history of the Opera as w e l l a s G a e t a n o Merola and his vision for what would become a cente- nary institution. Additionally, the Museo Italo-Americano will host some special events in June: on Thursday, June 1 s t t h e y w i l l p r e s e n t E o s Ensemble, accompanied by the talented Mezzo-Soprano Laura Krumm, followed by the Arias and Instrumentals Family Concert on Saturday, June 3rd, both at the BATS Improv Theatre. More info on the Museo website. O n M a y 1 1 , t h e project fuse* landed in San Francisco thanks to the Ital- ian Cultural Institute. Bring- ing the creativity of botanical illustrations to the Bay Area, the "Artificial Botany" project i s o n e o f t h e m a n y t h a t t h e f u s e * a r t s t u d i o l a u n c h e d o v e r t h e y e a r s . F o u n d e r s L u c a C a m e l l i n i welcomed guests during the pre-opening in San Francisco and shared the ongoing work of the studio in interpreting the complexity of human, social, and natural phenome- n a . T h r o u g h m u l t i m e d i a i n s t a l l a t i o n s a n d p e r f o r - m a n c e s , f u s e * e x p l o r e s boundaries among different disciplines and looks for new connections between light, s p a c e , s o u n d , a n d m o v e - m e n t . T h e s t u d i o h a s received lots of international attention with installations in Italy, Hong Kong, Mexico, China, Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United S t a t e s . W i t h A r t i f i c i a l Botany, f u s e * brings the focus back on illustrations that were once used by physi- cists, pharmacists, and scien- tists for the identification and a n a l y s i s o f p l a n t s . T h o s e same images, although no l o n g e r a b l e t o s a t i s f y t h e needs of the original audi- ences, are today a source of inspiration and allow artists t o h o n o r n a t u r e a n d l i f e t h r o u g h n e w t o o l s a n d m e t h o d o l o g i e s . T h e f i r s t installment of this project launched in 2019 and used two AI systems interacting with one another. This so- called "image-to-text transla- tion" method is commonly used to classify images, how- ever, fuse* artists were able t o t e s t i t s o t h a t t h e t e x t underlying each artwork is generated by the exploitation of another neural network algorithm. The prototype tries to recognize other artifi- cial-generated images frame b y f r a m e : a s t e c h n o l o g y a d v a n c e s , s o d o e s a r t . I n 2 0 2 2 , A r t i f i c i a l B o t a n y expanded into a more com- plex exhibition project, com- bining digital and analog prints with video installa- tions, sound environments with specimens of ancient herbaria, and natural printed silkscreens alongside immer- sive audiovisual installations. Two systems of study and acquisition of natural ele- ments' images come together i n t o a n o p e n d i a l o g u e between ancient and contem- porary memory, archiving and imagination, where the metamorphic characteristic o f e x i s t e n c e u l t i m a t e l y reveals itself: everything con- stantly changes. The exhibi- t i o n c a n b e v i s i t e d b y a p p o i n t m e n t , M o n d a y through Friday from 10am through 4.30pm at the Ital- i a n C u l t u r a l I n s t i t u t e a t Innovit. Email contact.san- francisco@esteri.it for more information. O n M a y 2 5 , a j o u r n e y through the Pantheon's arts and new technologies will t a k e p l a c e t h a n k s t o Architect Gabriella Musto. The Director of the Pantheon - Basilica of Santa Maria and Martyrs - will present a les- son on ArtCentrica's innova- tive methodologies applied to the Roman Pantheon. In her p r e s e n t a t i o n , A r c h i t e c t Musto will share the most fascinating narrative paths regarding this seminal mon- ument, which managed to defeat time, remaining rele- vant and universally loved, to the point of representing an unsurpassed architectural icon. From France to Ameri- ca and England, many archi- tects have been inspired by the Pantheon, to the point that its central plan and all its compositional and decora- tive styles have become a real canon never really surpassed. In this context, ArtCentrica's work has been crucial. The startup, a spin-off of Centri- ca, is based in Florence and specializes in the develop- m e n t o f t h e e p o n y m o u s application for the EdTech sector. It provides professors and teachers with an innova- t i v e t o o l t o s u p p o r t a n d improve lessons simply and engagingly; at the same time, it allows students to actively study art. The event will take place at 6.30pm on May 25 at the Italian Cultural Institute at Innovit. Technology stays at the center of the week with a full d a y o f p a n e l s h o s t e d b y SMAU, the Italian meeting and matching platform dedi- cated to innovation and star- tups. Among its annual Road- s h o w o f l o c a l e v e n t s , a n international event in Milano, and events outside of Italy (Paris, Berlin, London), San Francisco becomes the main location in the US. The day will start with intros by Con- sul General of Italy, Sergio Strozzi, the Trade Commis- sioner of ITA Los Angeles, A l e s s a n d r a R a i n a l d i , a n d Director of Innovit, Alberto A c i t o . F o l l o w i n g , S M A U brings panels spanning from smart manufacturing and creative solutions to open innovation in agrifood and retail; from the development of intelligent and sustainable mobility to climate change and wellness solutions. The full program is available on the SMAU website with links for registration and schedule. From technology to food: the doors of the CIA at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa open for an event organized in cooperation with the IIC. The first session is on "Artisanal Italian Foods for the Modern Table with Viola Buitoni": the Italian chef will bring personal stories and professional experiences, as well as demonstrations and tasting of recipes focusing on balsamico, bottarga, and bur- rata. For dessert, Patrizia Pasqualetti will take the stage for a sensory journey through the process of making gelato with demos and tasting. She will lead a demonstration in the Hestan Teaching Kitchen, taking guests from the start to the final product, showing tools, ingredients, and recipes that can inspire everyone to make this treat on their own. T h e d a y w i l l e n d w i t h a n exclusive, intimate dining e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e H e s t a n Teaching Kitchen celebrating Italian cuisine and culture. More info on the CIA at Copia website https://www.ciaat- copia.com/ The Museo Italo Americano organized an exhibit to honor the 100 years of the San Francisco Opera (Photo: Museo Italo Americano) Italian spring has sprung: not-to-miss events and initiatives happening in the Bay Area SERENA PERFETTO SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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