ADELAIDE CIONI

To mark the 700th anniversary of the passing of the great Venetian explorer Marco Polo, Fondazione Garuzzo proudly presents Le Divisament dou Monde: Italian Drawings on the Far East, curated by Angela Tecce.

Taking its name from the original Franco-Venetian title of Marco Polo’s famous travelogue, the exhibition is an homage to his spirit of observation and discovery. Through a carefully curated selection of works on paper by 44 Italian artists—from celebrated masters to contemporary rising stars—the collection investigates the enduring symbolic and cultural influence of the Far East on Italian art.

The choice of medium is highly intentional: it serves as a bridge to China’s millenary tradition of calligraphy and drawing, a practice that remains central to contemporary Chinese culture. The exhibition invites viewers to explore how the memory of Marco Polo's journey continues to shape our modern perception of the world through an ongoing dialogue of signs and narratives.