[BCMA] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BC Artist’s Life Work to be Featured in Major Exhibition in Rome

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

Dear Arts Colleagues,

We are pleased to share the exciting news of the inaugural international
exhibition of the late Italian-Canadian artist Sveva Caetani, opening this
October at MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome, Italy.

Please find the full news release below and attached. For additional
information or to arrange interviews, feel free to contact Caetani Centre
Executive Director Laisha Rosnau or myself.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Warm regards,

*Kristin Froneman (she/her)*
Programs and Communications Coordinator

www.caetani.org
Phone: (250) 275-1525

The Caetani Centre respectfully acknowledges we are located within the
Ancestral, Traditional, and Unceded territory of the Syilx People of
Okanagan Nation.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2025
BC Artist’s Life Work to be Featured in Major Exhibition in RomeInternational
Exhibition of Late Italian-Canadian Artist Sveva Caetani Opens at MAXXI –
National Museum of 21st Century Art This Fall

VERNON, BC – An exhibition that could be described as centuries in the
making is finally coming to life.

Before her death in 1994, Vernon artist Sveva Caetani dreamed of exhibiting
her work in Rome—the birthplace she had not seen since childhood. That
dream will soon be realized.

On October 3, 2025, Recapitulation—Caetani’s major painting series—along
with select other works, will be exhibited in its entirety for the first
time, and for the first time outside of Canada, at MAXXI – National Museum
of 21st Century Art in Rome.

“The Caetani Centre has been working with MAXXI for nearly two years to
bring Sveva’s Recapitulation series to Rome for her first posthumous
international exhibition, and we are thrilled that it’s finally happening,”
said Laisha Rosnau, Executive Director of the Caetani Centre. “Italy was
central to Sveva’s family history and personal identity—reflected in her
memories, writing, and artwork. Hosting her first international show in the
country of her birth is a remarkable tribute to her legacy.”

MAXXI curator Chiara Ianeselli visited Vernon in March 2025 to research
Caetani’s extensive watercolour series and other personal works. During her
visit, Ianeselli met with local artists, City of Vernon officials, and
those who knew Caetani personally.

“This exhibition symbolically returns Sveva to her birthplace through a
visionary body of work that is only now receiving the recognition it so
richly deserves,” said Ianeselli. “Thanks to a unique collaboration between
Canadian and Italian institutions, this long-overdue tribute brings her
poetic and powerful legacy to light.”

The exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Caetani Centre, the
Vernon Public Art Gallery, and the Museum & Archives of Vernon.

“Sveva Caetani’s art is deeply rooted in history and storytelling. Sharing
her legacy on an international stage reflects the Vernon Public Art
Gallery’s commitment to preserving and promoting important cultural
narratives,” said Dauna Kennedy, Executive Director of the Vernon Public
Art Gallery. “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate her impact and
foster cultural connections between Canadian and Italian audiences.”

Gwyneth Evans, Archives Manager at the Museum and Archives of Vernon, added:

“As custodians of the Sveva Caetani fonds, MAV is honoured to support this
exhibition. The collection includes manuscripts, drawings, photographs,
video, and audio recordings that offer profound insight into her life, art,
and legacy.”

Italian officials have also voiced their support. Paolo Miraglia Del
Giudice, Consul General of Italy in Vancouver, visited the Caetani Centre
in March to learn more about Caetani’s legacy.

“Sveva Caetani was an Italian-Canadian artist whose work forged deep
cultural ties between Italy and Canada,” said Miraglia Del Giudice. “Her
art is a testament to resilience and creativity, and it’s an honour to
celebrate her legacy in both countries.”

The exhibition, titled Sveva Caetani: Forma e Frammento, opens October 3,
2025, and runs through January 4, 2026, at MAXXI in Rome.

The series is currently being prepared for shipment, and visitors are
invited to view select works at the Caetani Centre before they depart for
Italy in July. Guided tours of the Centre are available Saturdays at 11
a.m. or 2 p.m. and Thursdays at 6 p.m.

Note: No tours will be available on July 19 due to the Centre’s annual
summer music festival.
Self-guided and scheduled tours will continue throughout the summer. Visit
www.caetani.org/tours for details.

------------------------------

Media Contacts

Laisha Rosnau
Executive Director, Caetani Centre
📧 ed at caetani.org
📞 250-275-1525

Images: Images_Sveva Caetani_MAXXI exhibition 2025
<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r0ak0SwuHwzbyvaPS-49bF6QpCS-8pj_?usp=sharing>

   1.

   MAXXI curator Chiara Ianeselli (left) with Paolo Miraglia Del Giudice,
   Consul General of Italy in Vancouver – Courtesy of the Consulate General of
   Italy in Vancouver

   2.

   Ianeselli receives a gift from Syilx knowledge keeper and artist Mariel
   Belanger at a reception at the Caetani Centre – Courtesy of the Caetani
   Centre

   3.

   Portrait of Sveva Caetani – Photo by Heidi Thompson

   4.

   Sveva Caetani: Their World, 1982, watercolour on paper, 108.1 × 82.2 cm,
   from Recapitulation © Caetani Cultural Centre Society

   5.

   Exhibition poster – Sveva Caetani: Forma e Frammento © MAXXI Museo
   nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo

------------------------------

About Sveva Caetani and the Caetani Centre

The Caetani Centre is a vibrant cultural facility on a 1.3-acre heritage
site in Vernon, BC. A beloved hub for arts and culture, the Centre hosts
artists and visitors from around the world. Its mission is to ignite the
power of art and story to inspire creativity, community, and connection.

Born in Rome in 1917, Sveva Caetani was descended from Italian nobility.
After early years of privilege followed by long reclusion in Vernon, she
emerged into the public eye through art. Upon her death, her family home
was entrusted to the community, and today it thrives as the Caetani Centre.

More: www.caetani.org

------------------------------

About MAXXI and the Exhibition

MAXXI – Italy’s National Museum of 21st Century Art – is one of the
country’s premier institutions for contemporary art. Designed by
world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, MAXXI spans over 290,000 sq. ft. in
Rome.

Forma e Frammento, running October 3, 2025 to January 4, 2026, is a
collaborative exhibition by MAXXI, the Caetani Centre, and the Museum &
Archives of Vernon. It reinterprets Sveva Caetani’s artistic journey
through her family legacy and spiritual evolution, particularly as seen in
the Recapitulation series. The exhibition also features contemporary
artists Carlo Benvenuto and Houda Kabbaj.

More: www.maxxi.art/en
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