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Kalenarte is a contemporary art project by the municipality of Casacalenda and developed as an open-air museum. At the end of the 1980s, Massimo Palumbo, supported by the local public administrations, had the bright idea of exhibiting several beautiful works of art across this small village and giving it an idea of continuity between tradition and modernity.

The very term “Kalena” was mentioned as early as 217 BC, by Polybius (a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period) and has two possible interpretations: the Greek translation means “too beautiful”, while the association with the ancient Roman word “Calende” identifies the first day of the month when the local market was usually held in town.

In recent times, many artists have created and exhibited their work in this very hamlet, benefiting from its quaint and peculiar atmosphere enriched and improved over the years.
At first, the locals looked at this project with suspicions, fearing it would change the very identity of their town, but they soon changed their mind and welcomed this most peculiar attraction.

The participating artists designed their permanent installations on-site, modifying the very “street furnishing” but respecting and reviving what used to be anonymous places in the country.

The installations develop along three paths reaching different places in Casacalenda; therefore, they are divided into the “blue path” or “Cittànuova”, the “red path” or the “Centro Storico”, and the “green path” or “Montagnola”.

Exhibited in Casacalenda, there are works by Andrea Colaianni, Tonino D’erme, Fabrizio Fabbri, Antonio Fiacco, Franco Libertucci, Carlo Lorenzetti, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Claudio Palmieri, Massimo Palumbo, Michele Peri, Alfredo Romano, Adrian Tranquilli, and Costas Varotos.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)