The theme of this museum is illustration in all its forms. The permanent exhibition focuses on Italian work, with a particular emphasis on local culture, whilst the central space hosts temporary exhibitions and other initiatives dedicated to illustration, open to exploring every facet of the art form and discovering new talent.
Re-established in 2020 and still housed in Palazzo Kursaal – where a ‘Museum of Comic Illustration’ had been created in 2003 – the museum is currently divided into five sections. The introductory and concluding sections, entitled ‘Genius loci’ and ‘Illustrated Grottammare’ respectively, focus on figures and subjects linked to the local area, whilst the second section explores a ‘pop’ theme such as portraits of celebrities from the world of entertainment. The other two sections are dedicated, one to classic Italian comics, explored through the work of the artist Angelo Maria Ricci, and the other to ‘New Illustration’, exemplified by works from the latest generation of artists.
Among the works on display: drawings by masters such as Milo Manara, Tanino Liberatore, Bruno Bozzetto, Guido Crepax and Franco Matticchio; a series of collages by Pablo Echaurren; drawings and prints by younger artists, such as Olimpia Zagnoli, Maicol & Mirco and Camilla Falsini; original artwork from some classics of Italian comics (Diabolik, Martin Mystère, Mister No). Furthermore, to highlight a connection with the local artistic tradition, the exhibition features a number of woodcuts by Adolfo De Carolis, lithographs and drawings by Pericle Fazzini, engravings by Tullio Pericoli and Futurist portraits by Cleto Capponi.
LIS videos have recently been produced for thirteen works on display, aimed at deaf or hard-of-hearing people; these can be viewed on the Izi Travel website: https://izi.travel/it/browse/036a8c98-7ce1-4b1e-acd2-ee7b1ee9389a/it#/browse/19d2066e-3b46-49dd-bfb8-6983b06c38c0/it
News and information: Musei Civici – Città di Grottammare