History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes   

Exhibition curated by Giorgia Lucchi Boccanera and Hélène de Franchis    

Cristian Avram, Linda Carrara, Andrea Fontanari, Veronica de Giovanelli, Gabriele Grones, Debora Hirsch, Federico Seppi 

and   Vincenzo Castella, Giulio Paolini  

September 23 – November 11, 2023    

History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes is the title of the exhibition curated by Hélène de Franchis (Studio la Città, Verona) and Giorgia Lucchi Boccanera (Boccanera Gallery Trento/Milan) that will open Saturday, September 23 at 11 a.m. in the spaces of Lungadige Galtarossa 21 in Verona. This exhibition project was created by two galleries that share the same vision and interest in promoting contemporary art.

"History does not repeat itself but it rhymes," is probably the most well-known and quoted phrase of American writer Mark Twain. This famous quote represents the role of history itself: a constant evolution of transformations and progress, while at the same time, patterns that repeat and schemes that replicate paradigms similar to themselves.

This sometimes happens even when two personal stories intersect. One relives the mechanisms of its past in the other, while the other builds a projection of its possible tomorrow 

"I see in Giorgia what I was doing 40 years ago," says Hélène de Franchis. “I have a framed photograph in my storage showing me leaning against a van - that I drove from Verona to Cologne going to the Art Fair - with the Cologne Cathedral in the background. Giorgia does the same. We have the same way of considering art and the same approach. In an interview, I described working in the art world as a way of life: an uncommon life choice that Giorgia and I fully share."   

Giorgia Lucchi, on the other hand, has recognized in Hélène the role of a mentor, unintentionally on her part: "I have always admired Hélène for her professionalism, attention to detail, and her great tenacity and energy. I have always celebrated her successes and the great team she has created. I believe that the feeling of deep admiration and esteem for those who achieve recognition in their work creates inner tension and extra strength to believe even more firmly in what you do. Looking at Hélène, I project myself into the future, give shape my vision, and face everyday difficulties with that lightness of spirit that makes everything achievable." 

This affinity between the two gallery owners arose naturally after many encounters at various contemporary art venues and constant greetings from Giorgia Lucchi Boccanera, who referred to Hélène as "her personal myth." Until one day, at Artissima in Turin, Hélène anticipated Giorgia, asking her not to no longer call her myth. From that moment, a firm handshake sealed the deep understanding between colleagues who share the same profession in the same way. 

The result of this understanding is an exhibition in the spaces of Lungadige Galtarossa 21 in Verona that will present the works of artists Cristian Avram, Linda Carrara, Andrea Fontanari, Veronica de Giovanelli, Gabriele Grones, Debora Hirsch and Federico Seppi represented by Boccanera Gallery, along with Vincenzo Castella and Giulio Paolini, two artists particularly representative of the history of Studio la Città. Vincenzo Castella was chosen by Giorgia Lucchi Boccanera because it refers Hélène's great passion for photography as an extraordinary artistic medium. Castella's work printed on 70 gram Japanese mulberry paper offers an almost painterly vision that approaches the paintings of Gabriele Grones. The choice of Giulio Paolini's work is instead linked to the history of the gallery, to the early years of its activity when choices of great contemporaneity brought Hélène closer to the work of particularly innovative artists such as Paolini.