Rassegna d'arte Ars Gratia Artis

**Ars Gratia Artis, Art Review**

**Twenty years of culture and hospitality at La Casa degli Artisti in Gallipoli**

In 2026, **La Casa degli Artisti** in Gallipoli will celebrate twenty years of activities dedicated to art, creativity, and encounter. This review is thus an excursion through both old and new artists who have contributed to making the mission of La Casa degli Artisti great. It is an exploration of the small treasures gathered and lovingly preserved over these 20 years of active presence in the Apulian and national cultural landscape, almost an emotional journey through donations and tokens of affection, collected over the years and carefully kept, which are now exhibited to the public to joyfully share moments of enthusiasm and passion. This is the meaning of the new exhibition that will animate the exhibition spaces of La Casa degli Artisti in **Gallipoli** starting from June 27 until the end of the year. Among the works displayed are those from the latest production period of the host, the artist **Giorgio De Cesario**, who, coming off his successes in New York at Artexpo, wanted to encompass these recent efforts into a unique piece titled “Sfascismo,” a neologism he coined to describe a historical and existential condition of collapse and a critical stance against the prevailing narrative. But it is not only De Cesario. Honorary guests will also include students from classes I – II and III F, IIIA and IIIB of the Secondary School of First Degree at the Comprehensive Institute Polo 2 of Gallipoli, who, under the wise guidance of Professors Cinzia De Lorenzis, M. Teresa Sette, and Andrea Margiotta, as well as the School Principal Prof. Lucilla Vaglio, have created small masterpieces of mail art on the theme of love. The presence of these students was strongly desired by Giorgio De Cesario with the clear aim of bringing young people closer to the world of art and the pursuit of beauty, thus helping to guide them in their future educational choices and enhancing their skills. There will also be numerous artifacts that adorn various corners of this residence, among which we mention an unpublished writing by **Gabriele D’Annunzio**, two lithographs by **Basilio Cascella**, the minimalist paintings of **Salvatore Pepe**, some late 19th-century photos with hand-painted touches, and many other small rarities of inestimable sentimental value. Additionally, there will be a viewing of some precious handmade artist books, unique and original, from the Verbamanent artist book archive in Sannicola.

In conclusion, here is the list, in strictly alphabetical order, of the participating artists in the exhibition: Anna Alfarano, Giuseppe Ashram, Michele Lucio Bruno, Pasquale Cavalera, Nadia Cera, Rita Corciulo, Danny H. Cortese, Carina Corvaglia, Giorgio De Cesario, Rita De Matteis, Ilaria Ferramosca, Amanda Gesualdi, Katia Giannotta, Elisabetta Lenti, Michelle Marino, Anna Chiara Mauro, Anna Pia Merico, Antonio Napolitano, Francesco Napolitano, Luigina Parisi, Salvatore Pepe, Max Hamlet Sauvage, Raffaella Scorrano.

The inauguration will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 7:30 PM at La Casa degli Artisti located at Via Lepanto, 1 in Gallipoli with the presence of all the artists and the curators **Domenicaisabella Bono Mariano, Raffaele Bono Mariano, and Maria Cristina Maritati**. We also thank the Territorial Assembly of CittadinanzAttiva, the Association La Barcaccia, and Maddalena Castegnaro, responsible for the Archive of Artist Books and the ScriptorArt Collective, for their kind cooperation.