Friday 4 October 2024 will see the opening at Palazzo Blu of the exhibition ‘The explorers of infinity. From Yambo's novel to the graphic novel’, dedicated to the figure of Yambo and to the graphic novel by Davide La Rosa and Armin Barducci. The exhibition is part of “Yambo 150”, a national review celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of the multifaceted author and realised by Palazzo Blu as part of the cultural initiatives linked to the Pisa Book Festival 2024.
Yambo, born Enrico Novelli, was born in Pisa 150 years ago, on 5 June 1874. Son of the famous theatrical actor Ermete, he soon made his way into the world of the printed page. Remembered today above all as the author of novels for children, he was in reality a brilliant artist whose interests ranged from journalism (editor of La Nazione for years) to film directing (it was he who signed the first Italian science fiction film), from writing for the theatre to the creation of a successful puppet company, and finally to comics. A vast cultural activity that earned him the nickname ‘eclectic between two centuries’.
‘The Explorers of Infinity’, a children's science fiction text from 1908, is one of his best-known adventure novels. And it is from this volume that the exhibition ‘The Explorers of Infinity. From Yambo's novel to the graphic novel', curated by Fabio Gadducci at Palazzo Blu. The exhibition will have a section dedicated to Yambo's career, and will present a national preview of one of the paintings created by the recently rediscovered Pisan artist. A second section will be dedicated to the graphic novel created by Davide La Rosa and Armin Barducci and inspired by the novel.
The exhibition will be open to the public from Friday 4 October to Sunday 17 November in the brand new exhibition space on the 5th floor, and will allow visitors to both rediscover Yambo by means of a special guided tour, and to admire the plates of the graphic novel, published by the newly founded publishing house Baya Comics conceived by Fabrizio Felici, which will be previewed at the opening of the exhibition. During the opening weeks, the exhibition will cross paths with two other important events that connect the territory to the world of graphics: the Internet Festival and Lucca Comics. The 150th anniversary of the birth of Yambo will also be commemorated by a dense series of events and initiatives, the complete list of which can be found at www.instagram.com/yambo150.eventi/.
Yambo 150 is organised by the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory (INAF), the Museum of Computing Instruments (University of Pisa), the Marucelliana Library, the Pisa Foundation and the Department of History, Heritage, Education and Society (University of Rome Tor Vergata), in collaboration with Cinema Arsenale, Pisa Book Festival, Lucca Comics & Games, the Department of Letters and Philosophy (University of Florence), ANAFI, Elara Libri, La Jetée, 3D Academy Italia, DORS, Baya Comics. The patronage is provided by the Galileo Galilei Foundation and La Nazione.
