Discover Rome through Art: Making of an Exhibition

During the pandemic that we are still facing, we were all a little envy of animals for their freedom to walk around freely, while we were stuck at home, unable to travel and explore cities. As Cultural Places is a platform for a cultural traveler, who wasn’t really able to travel lately, we were looking for different ways to create great culture-related content. So, we partnered with Roberto Di Costanzo — an amazing Rome-based artist, who will help you discover Rome through his illustrations.

This digital exhibition/tour around Rome will show a few of the artist’s favorite places around the city as viewed through the eyes of his cat, who was able to stroll the empty city streets of Rome and rediscover its wonderful architecture. We’re looking forward to this digital exhibition to go live in August and we’re sure you will find it very interesting. Until then, we bring you an interview with Roberto where he shares a little bit about his professional life and what’s the idea behind this one of a kind exhibition.

Roberto Di Costanzo — a Renaissance-inspired Contemporary Artist

Cultural Places: Hey Roberto, it is good to have you featured on our platform and to introduce you to our readers. Could you explain to us your professional background?

Roberto Di Costanzo: I am a portraitist, painter, illustrator, and teacher. For over 15 years I have been dealing with the drawing through exhibitions, books, and teaching in Art Academies. I am a student of the Oscar-winning costume designer, Piero Tosi, who has forged me over the years. I have always exhibited between Rome and Paris, indeed among my important collectors, there are Anna Fendi in Rome and Pierre Cardin in France.

CP: What is your current focus in work?

Roberto: My focus is the narration of the Italian drawing, inspired by the masters of the Italian Renaissance in the various techniques of drawing with charcoal chalk ink and in large formats so as to make it contemporary.

CP: How would you describe your style?

Roberto: My style is nostalgic, and it imprints a weaving of lines that recall the old engraving techniques, still with the grit and modernity of our times.

CP: What is your greatest inspiration? How did your life experiences influence your style?

Roberto: My inspiration is the body; I often portray live and teach anatomy to my students. I am specialized in the drawing of the nude and in many years of activity, I have lived great human experiences through portraiture.

Discover Rome from a Different Perspective

CP: This is one of a kind exhibition/tour on our platform. Could you tell us a little bit about its concept?

Roberto: A very ambitious and visionary project that summarises my love for Rome and the design of architecture through the poetic dream of the feline Eros.

CP: We were just wondering who Eros, our guide is!

Roberto: Eros is my black cat. He has been living with me for 5 years and he assists me in a symbiotic way in the realization of all my artistic projects, like a beauty talisman.

CP: What was your inspiration for creating this unique exhibition?

Roberto: The inspiration is the trip to my beautiful city Rome, that I wanted to be narrated in an unusual and poetic way, especially during the emptiness of the lockdown without neither cars nor people.

CP: How did you choose the places to show in this exhibition?

Roberto: The places are all related to my personal memories, being Roman, and having completed artistic studies. They are places of memory that I regularly admire and take inspiration from.

CP: What is your absolute favorite place in Rome? What is that one spot that every visitor needs to see? 

Roberto: There are obviously many places to see in Rome but what cannot be missed by the visitors are the Baroque Rome squares — real stages where fountains and palaces dialogue together with the mastery of architects such as Bernini, Borromini, Bramante and so on.  

CP: Tell us three things that we need to know before visiting Rome. 

Roberto: In Rome, there is a lot to see and the best way to me is walking around the city or riding a bike; in the eternal city you will learn more about the imperial Rome and you will better appreciate it; lastly, you definitely need to dedicate time for night tours. 

CP: Do you have any final words for our dear readers? 

Roberto: I hope this small virtual exhibition manages to make the visitors of Roman beauties dream and more aware. I really hope they will enjoy the tour, thank you! 

Thank you, Roberto, for your time and for the efforts put into the creation of this digital tour that will give us the opportunity to discover Rome from another angle! 

This tour will show you quite a few unusual and prestigious places that most tourists don’t know about. Roberto will share slightly different insights into the Eternal City and that is something we’re always looking forward to — a local’s perspective of a wonderful destination we’re about to explore, whether digitally or in person.