Una stanza per Bene. Tracce di quattro lavori di Carmelo Bene

Curated by Claudio Fazzini, Giuseppe Garrera and Federico Primosig, the exhibition on display in Studio 2 at the MACRO museum presents the public with previously unseen material – primarily photographs – relating to the early theatrical career of the actor, director, poet and writer Carmelo Bene.

An extreme and unconventional artist, Carmelo Bene was one of the most innovative figures in twentieth-century theatre: his artistic exploration profoundly transformed the language of the stage, redefining its conventions. Organised into four sections, the exhibition focuses on four productions dating from 1959 to 1974: “Addio porco”, “Caligola”, “Salomè” and “S.A.D.E.”. Far removed from the traditional mechanisms of communication and performance, these works have long been preserved chiefly in the memories of their audiences, giving rise over time to stories, anecdotes and legendary accounts.

The photographs and other documents on display come from archives and private collections and are presented to the public for the first time. Together, they enable us to piece together the history of these productions and to convey their provocative power, revealing little-known aspects of Carmelo Bene’s theatre, whose radical nature was already evident in his early works, beyond the mythical image that has gradually been built up around him.