Cartasia: A Celebration of Paper Art and Design, 2022 Edition

In normal times the art of Cartasia graces the city of Lucca every other year with wonderful creations made of paper. But, still playing catch-up from a missed year due to the pandemic, this year Cartasia returned for a second year in a row. The event is officially called the Lucca Biennale Cartasia, or LUBICA for short. But most simply call it Cartasia, as carta is the Italian word for paper. For some general information about Cartasia, and a peek at last year’s show, here is a link to a post from last year about the history of Cartasia and the 2021 show: www.twopartsitaly.com/blog/2021/9/16/lucca-biennale-cartasia

This year’s theme was La Pagina Bianca (The White Page). Festival organizers explain the theme as representing both endless possibilities and the anxiety of the unknown. Each artist interprets the theme in a personal way, but the common element is always the use of paper in their work. In addition to a theme, each year highlights the art of a different country. This year Germany was chosen as the central country, their entries (had interesting form, texture, and movement. Pictured below are works by German artists Donata Opperman and Barbara Friebe.

Some of the exhibits are large outdoor pieces displayed in Lucca’s historic squares. A wander through town gives everyone a chance to stop by and appreciate each piece, and makes it easy to return to a favorite one. But no touching - these pieces made of paper and cardboard are sturdy but still a bit delicate.

The Villa Bottini provided the perfect backdrop for some colorful fashion designs.

Another component of the exhibit takes places indoors with displays which include art, architecture, and design (including fashion). This year two historic venues played host to the indoor pieces. The Palazzo Ducale was filled with art and architecture pieces. The Villa Bottini hosted the fashion and design, as well as works from Germany and video art.

Entering the exhibit in the Palazzo Ducale, after climbing the grand staircase, is a large piece that at first glance is just a wall of blank sheets of paper. On closer inspection the pages are embossed with subtle designs created by Marta Wrublh and students from the Academia Linguistica delle Belle Arti in Genova. It’s a perfect representation of the exhibit’s theme.

Also in Palazzo Ducale was a room full of stunning female forms, all by the artist Chadwick Meyer. The detail and movement were extraordinary. And the names of the pieces - You are Secure, You are Powerful, You are Loved, You are at Peace - carry a powerful message (pictured left to right below).

Beyond that was a room of architectural structures in cardboard. Walking through them was like standing within the frame of the Eiffel Tower, or the inside of some complex biologic organism. Fascinating. Other rooms had beautifully sculpted animal figures, colorful paper mosaics made from tiny paper cones (the eye pictured below), ink and photo designs on paper. The creative variety was endless.

Across town in Villa Bottini were several rooms displaying art, masks, and fashion. The creations were imaginative, colorful, detailed, and just plain fun. The dresses below, by Caterina Crepax, were especially enchanting.

Many of the dresses were made of layered or folded sheets of paper, but one display, by the artist Anna Elisa Chapman, used paper that was actually spun into a type of yarn, just as wool would be spun into thread.

Cartasia runs through September 25, 2022. The next edition will be in 2024. It will be worth the wait!