The long corridor of the Classense Library hosts works by artists under 35 selected through the GAeM – Giovani Artist* e Mosaico competition, in a collective exhibition curated by Sabina Ghinassi and Antonio Rocca. The competition, in collaboration with Orsoni Venezia 1888 and Fondazione Cingoli, explores the research of younger generations, both in the use of traditional materials and techniques and in alternative and unconventional proposals. It also allows for the organisation of two artist residencies, in collaboration with GA/ER Giovani Artisti Emilia Romagna.
GAeM celebrates the contemporary nature of mosaic in all its forms, from the use of traditional materials and techniques to the most innovative experiments that reinvent this ancient artistic language. The initiative promotes research that dialogues with the constitutive practices of mosaic, offering them visibility in a city such as Ravenna, whose identity is inextricably linked to this art form.
The exhibition presents a journey through two complementary sections that reflect the dual spirit of GAeM. The first section brings together artists who have chosen to work with traditional materials and techniques: Adelaida Sharakhova, Anica Kitanoska, Cheng Yinzhuoran, Chiara Domenicali, Daniela Iurato, Elena Andreea Diaconita, Federica Sangiorgi, Francesca Fantoni, Gaia Liberatore, Isabella Catino, Lorenzo Baruzzi, Marica Zanga, Martina Di Mattia, Mila Dobresvska, Pedro Silvani, Ruta Marija Tokarevaite, Sofia Liapis, Vera Belikova, Vsevolod Prokhorov and Yuyu Zhao.
The second section features contemporary research that experiments with innovative materials and approaches: Aleda Shqalsi, Alice Voglino, Amira Teresa Nappi, Asia Fusco, Cecilia Damiani – Ilaria Pennoni, Elisa Pietracito, Francesco D’Angelo, Giovanni Manara, Greta Di Naccio, Guglielmo Culatti Zilli – Camilla Sdraulig – Anna Paties, Irene Giornelli, Jessica Ferro, Luca Federico Ferrero, Martina Minzoni, Miriam Fabietti, Silvia Mantellini Faieta and Yihong Yang.
This comprehensive overview bears witness to the extraordinary vitality of contemporary mosaic art, an expressive language capable of spanning the centuries while maintaining its creative force and ability to continually reinvent itself.
On 13 December, the jury awarded the prizes to the artists.
For the section dedicated to traditional mosaics, created in collaboration with the historic Orsoni Venezia 1888 kiln, the prize was awarded to Sofia Liapis for her work Madonna (2024), which marked a virtuous encounter between mosaic philology and contemporary content, such as critical reflection on the image of classical motherhood.
For the section dedicated to unconventional and experimental languages – developed together with the Cingoli Foundation – the prize went to Luca Federico Ferrero with Bordo Mare (2025), a conceptual work, a chilling reflection on our desire for domination/coercion over Nature.
Both works will become part of the MAR’s Contemporary Mosaic Collection, testifying to the role of the Award in the construction of a living and constantly evolving archive.
Special mention goes to Silvia Mantellini Faieta who, with her site-specific installation Sidus, entered into an immersive dialogue with the spaces of the Chiostro della Manica Lunga, through a weaving of personal memories and suggestions from the history of Ravenna.