In questo periodo affannoso e greve, tra pandemie e guerre, una lezione di luce e speranza mi è venuta incontro in occasione di un concorso internazionale dedicato a giovani artisti (dai 5 ai 18 anni ), nel quale mi vedeva a far parte della commissione giudicatrice .
Ottimamente organizzato da Gianni negli spazi del Convitto Nazionale Paolo Diacono a Cividale del Friuli, c’era da giudicare le opere pittoriche ispirate al tema dell’ ACQUA al quale hanno partecipato giovani artisti provenienti numerosi anche da Paesi lontani come l’ Argentina, Ski Lanka, Cina , Canada, USA , India, Svizzera, Israele, oltre all’ Italia. Nell’insieme delle 265 opere, attentamente analizzate e valutate è emerso l’ottimo livello, stimoli, emozioni, e la forza dei colori con cui i giovani artisti hanno affrontato il tema proposto (l’acqua) nella realta’ delle cose come una favola .
C’è stata anche una graduatoria e una classificazioe di merito a seconda dei gruppi di eta’ . Come sempre i migliori lavori quelli dei piu’ piccoli,il che mi ha fatto ricordare quanto diceva Picasso : “ …Si puo’ studiare tutta la vita e si arriva a dipingere come Raffaello…Ma non basta una vita per arrivare a dipingere come un bambino . Infatti il vero artista è colui che ha conservato lo spirito dell’infanzia dentro di sé per tutta la vita..e vede il mondo con gli occhi di un bambino. Pertanto il mio voto non va al singolo ma a tutti i partecpanti che oggi in questa rassegna ci hanno insegnato qualosa che va oltre, forse non sono in grado di definire ma che un tenpo chiamavamo “ spirituale “ cio’ che va al di là del tumulto del presente per raggiungere cio’ che è superiore, puro, essenziale e sublime .
E in fondo al tunnel in cui ci siamo cacciati torna la luce.

Gianni Borta

www.gianniborta.com

In the gorgeous city of Cividale del Friuli, with its long and interesting history, surrounded by the beauty of its landscape, I have been honoured to be a member of the jury of the International Art Competition 2022. An event that allowed young artists from all parts of the world to show their creativity and passion for painting. The theme for the competition was “Water” and I particularly appreciated how the participants, despite their young age, were attentive to environmental issues and used different techniques to express their common concern for the future of our planet.
I think this type of initiative is significant. Young artists have been given the possibility to use colours and shapes to express their different realities and share them, we have been able to understand their world better.
Adults have a lot to learn from the immediate sincerity of children. Pablo Picasso said “when I was young I was inspired by Raffaello, when I got old I was inspired by children.
I sincerely wish this initiative to continue.

Zhou Zhiwei

zhouzhiwei.org

When I was invited to be on the jury of the INTERNATIONAL ART COMPETITION
for budding young artists I was very interested to participate.
I was curious to see what children produced to the theme of Water – ACQUA.
Arriving in Cividale at the Convitto Paolo Diacono, I was first amazed about the big number of paintings and even a wooden sculpture, that were exposed.
Looking closer I noticed the many different ways children looked at the same theme “water” and how the climate with all its facettes mattered to them.
From so many angles they chose to express their thoughts, perhaps even fears, in their paintings.
I had the feeling that to all of them, coming from so many different countries and continents, water” and “climate” mattered and they had something to say.
One felt so impressed by their colours and thoughts, the force that they expressed.
There were even paintings from 3 and 4 year old children, and they freely and happily worked with colours and love of expression.
In all the exposed works already such an enormous talent for art!
There was a wave of freedom, intelligence and temperament that came out of all these works!
Hopefully this competition will go on in the next years to make children aware of their strength, their talent, makes them think and care for our envirement and take this experience through their whole life!
What a beautiful idea to organize such a competition – it certainly will stay in these childrens heartsand mind, it will have made them aware.

Ida von Szigethy

www.ida-szigethy.info