Article translated by Amritee Mahabir

It was announced months ago. The people of Milan and all the international visitors from the Salone del Mobile (who had sponsored it) waited eagerly. And instead it will not be there or at least the original will not be there. Peter Greenaway’s performance based on the idea of Leonardo’s Last Supper, was in fact considered as potentially damaging for the delicate fresco by the master. For this reason the superintendent denied the necessary authorisation unleashing a diplomatic case.
Peter Greenaway is an intellectual film director who has experimented with new artistic languages since time. After cinema, he dedicated himself to directing lyrical works and to experimenting with languages adapted to new technologies. He had also already realised a similar performance to this programme in Milan on “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt, reinterpreting it in an installation/video called “Nightwatchin” by the eclectic English director. Despite the delicacy of the painting, in that case the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam didn’t hesitate to grant the public the chance to see such an extraordinary reinterpretation of the work, thanks to which the figures came to life and were shown in a completely different light.

The artist had furthermore collaborated to embellish the exhibition inaugurated at the Reggia di Venaria through the “Ripopolare la Reggia” project: a series of installations that interconnect the show’s journey projecting the visitor in court life, thanks to the knowledgeable use of technologies. On the occasion of the Salone del Mobile, in Milan from the 16th to the 21st April, Cosmit (the company that organises the internationally known shows) decided to offer the city of Milan the chance to be centre stage of this event resuming collaboration between the representatives of world design (a flagship of Made in Italy) and the city.

After the favourable appearance of the previous superintendent, the Letizia Moratti syndicate, and the culture minister Vittorio Sgarbi, at the end of March the new superintendent, Gino Famiglietti decided to deny permission to use the work. The reasons would be twofold. First, it is feared that the presence of so many visitors, the lights and the sounds correlating to the performance and the presence of fine dust could damage the fragile painting. The organisers responded to this by declaring that it would be enough to lower the power of the lights (even if those initially used were already lower than what they usually use to illuminate the work), supplying the visitors with audio headphones and further limiting the number of participants. The solution however didn’t seem to be enough for the Superintendent, also because there are other reasons that pushed them to deny authorisation according to Famiglietti. In fact it is held that this kind of performance could also be realised with a copy rather than submitting the original to such strain.

Again the usual ministerial officials made their voices heard. This event that was announced months ago, at a point in which Milan finds itself under the attentive watch of the international public, was cancelled for reverential fears that were perhaps not all that justified. Leonardo’s masterpiece should be submitted to the highest care, but the performance would not actually have different consequences brought on by hundreds of visitors accessing the painting every day.

Meanwhile, an alternative solution was found. The performance will happen at the Sala delle Cariatidi in the Palazzo Reale with a “clone” of the work. Luckily, the collaboration of an international team, and highly advanced technologies have allowed them to create a perfect copy of the work that will fascinate the audience in any case, even if it isn’t the same emotion that will see the figures of Leonardo’s five century old painting come to life.

Open to the public:

Palazzo Reale
Piazza Duomo 12, Milano

16th April – 4th May 2008
Times

From Monday to Sunday
Every 20 minutes from 20.00 to 23.00 first entrance time 19.45

24th April and 1st May closed

Tickets

€ 5,00 full price
€ 4,00 concessions
€ 11,00 Greenaway and Canova inclusive ticket

Information and bookings:

infoline 02 54916 (from Monday to Friday times: 09.00 -17.00)
Palazzo Reale ticket office (times 09.30 -18.30 and 19.30-22.30)
librerie Feltrinelli