Il sogno di Alberto

A dream comes to life in the hall of honour of the Palazzo del Ben, in Rovereto: it is the dream of Alberto, stagename chosen by Fortunato Depero for the character of “Gloria Conquistata”, a film the artist would have liked to make, to talk about himself, his life and art.
The hall is divided into two symmetrical environments that correspond to two different narratives: dreams and life, reality and fantasy. The projections, shown on four large cloth screens depicts Alberto’s dream, in which the tale of the artist’s youth, futuristic poetics, the tragedy of the First World War and his first successes take shape: creating the sets and costumes for the Le Chant du Rossignol, a ballet by Igor Stravinskij commissioned by Diaghilev, the impresario of the Ballets Russes.
The style of the narration with black and white video and the sound recall a dreamlike context. Fragments of archive footage intertwine with moments of animated graphics and reinterpret the visual suggestions evoked by “Gloria Conquistata”.
After this first part, visitors enter the second environment. The second act is projected onto the back of the same four screens: Fortunato’s dreams are replaced by the reality of his time: an unpleasant awakening. The voiceover relates the failure of Le Chant du Rossignol and the artist’s disappointment, the dreams of success fade but make way for a new creative cycle, the famous “fabric marquetry”.