L'Italo-Americano

18 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013 When dreams come true: the new app Italy Art LA goes online sILvIA sIMONEttI Grand celebrations were held at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles on Thursday, December 12, when friends and partners gathered together to pay tribute to Director Alberto Di Mauro, ending his career in the Italian Institution. Surrounded by the gratitude and appreciation of his collaborators and the IIC guests, Alberto Di Mauro was joined on stage by his deputies, Michela Magrì and Massimo Sarti, to present his last event. He decided to use this opportunity to disclose one of his legacies to the community: the brand new smart-phone application "Italy Art LA". Based on the printed version and announced a year ago, the digital platform developed in collaboration with Alessandro Marianantoni's Mediars represents a unique way to discover Italian art installations in Los Angeles. Multimedia materials and support to realize the project have been provided by local museums, cultural centers, foundations, and partner institutions to whom the Director expressed his sincere gratitude. In particular, he acknowledged the cooperation of the Italian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Los Angeles, the J.P. Getty Museum and the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens, as well as the generous sponsors Frank Mancuso and the Italian Heritage Culture Foundation. The user-friendly application, featuring high-resolution pictures, customized maps, and exclusive videos, has been designed to be used on site, Giuseppe Perrone, Michela Magrì, Alberto Di Mauro, Massimo Sarti, Lourdes Saab allowing to take a closer look at Italian art pieces located in the City and to learn more about their history. For the time being, only two itineraries have been created: From light to materiality, including the Getty Museums, the UCLA Sculpture Garden, and the IIC itself; and the more experimental Traces of Italy. Yet, the added value of this virtual device lies in the possibility to constantly update its functions and data. Among the works of art illustrated during the presentation of the app were the Roman marble statues of Venus and Heracles, the sarcophagus with scenes of Bacchus, the modern pool sculpture Colpo D'Ala (Wing Beat) by Arnaldo Pomodoro, and Alberto Burri's Grande Cretto Nero (Large Black Cretto). Besides innovative communication technologies, as Consul General of Italy Giuseppe Perrone underlined, Director Di Mauro's grand closing was an exemplary contamination of different expressions of our culture, from music to cinema, from good food to hilarious moments. Exactly the kind of event that he has always liked to organize. The evening was opened by the performance of Italian pianist and composer Adriano Aponte, winner of the Los Angeles Music Awards 2009 and 2010 as Acoustic Album and International Artist of the Wing Beat by Arnaldo Pomodoro. Photo by Junior Briceño Year, who played famous pieces by Ennio Morricone. In addition, special guest violinist Roberto Cani, Concertmaster of the L.A. Opera, was also invited to perform an aria by Antonio Paganini for the delighted audi- ence. As a sign of respect and gratitude, he was presented a bronze medal forged by Marinelli Artistic Foundry in Florence on the occasion of the Year of the Italian Culture in the United States. In the cradle of cinema, a significant part of the Institute's activity has traditionally been dedicated to this field. Therefore, the Director's farewell was also celebrated with fragments of famous Italian and American films, images of "travel, departure, and return" reminding us that when a door closes, another opens. Alberto Di Mauro's valuable contribution to promote the Italian culture and language, as well as his leading role within the local community were reflected in the presence of many representatives of both the Italian and American political and cultural institutions, and in the special award bestowed on him by Lourdes Saab, Deputy Chief of Protocol for the County of Los Angeles. Receiving this gift, the Director wanted to thank his precious collaborators, including the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles, the IIC staff, the Italian Trade Commission and Tourism Board, the Italian American Chamber of Commerce West, the County and the Municipality of Los Angeles, the Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation, the National Italian American Foundation, Fondazione Italia, the Watts Towers Art Center, Cinema Without Borders, Beyond Baroque, the L.A. Opera, L'Italo-Americano Newspaper, but also all the restaurants which have offered their catering service on several occasions. Furthermore, he dedicated his work to the public of the Italian Cultural Institutes he has chaired throughout his career, and in particular to the "nice, intelligent, and dynamic" community of Los Angeles who has been following all the initiatives of the IIC with extreme enthusiasm and interest. Indeed, over the last three years, the Institute has succeeded in attracting different audiences, as Consul General Perrone pointed out, by creating a strong sense of familiarity and cohesion, while showing the best of contemporary as well as classic Italian culture. And the app Italy Art LA will give a significant boost to its mission by engaging the new generations. The "night of dreams that become true" - as it was entitled with reference to the launch of the new application - culminated in a delicious dinner in a cheerful and friendly atmosphere, getting ready for a new chapter of exciting cultural adventures.

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