Friday, 12 December 2008, 6.30pm
Ambrosiana Library - Sala delle Accademie
Piazza Pio XI, 2 - Milan

Milan, 10 December 2008 - The William G. Congdon Foundation has organized this ‘Conversation about William Congdon ten years after his death’ as part of a series of initiatives to honor this great American artist.
The Foundation, named after the artist, wanted to create an opportunity for reflection on the very unique experience of this leading American artist, who for a time traveled on the same path as the great Abstract Expressionists.
William G. Congdon created an ideal bridge between the New World and the Old World, having spent almost fifty years in Italy: in Venice, Assisi and in the Lombard countryside near Milan, where he ended his days.
“The name given to this event,” says Professor Rodolfo Balzarotti, director of The William G. Congdon Foundation, “is meant to underline the importance of this artist as a bridge between different linguistic and cultural worlds. In fact Congdon has also been called an artist of many countries. For these reasons we have invited Professor Philipe Daverio, a leading figure in the Milanese artistic and cultural scene, himself a man of many countries by origin and vocation, and Álvaro de la Rica, a scholar of comparative literature at the University of Navarra in Pamplona. The first speaker will talk about Congdon the painter, and the second about the writings of this artist who straddled the border of a number of languages both pictorially and linguistically.”                   
The site chosen for the event is the Ambrosiana Library, one of the most ancient and illustrious Milanese institutions. It is hosted by the Prefect, Monsignor Franco Buzzi who will also deliver a short talk.             
Speakers:
Professor Philippe Daverio – Art Historian
Professor Álvaro de la Rica – Director of the Cátedra Felix Huarte, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona (Spain)

Organization:
Professor Rodolfo Balzarotti, director of The William G. Congdon Foundation
The event has been created in collaboration with Lombardy Region, Ambrosiana Library, Acqua Group and sponsored in part by  FNM.