Opus in Artem presents

OPUS IN ARTEM IN ITINERE III

Dina Goldstein – Gods & Princesses
Borgo Val di Taro, Via Nazionale 28

The exhibition was organized in close cooperation with the
Municipality of Borgo Val di Taro

Saturday 12 February 2022, at 6.30 p.m., in Via Nazionale 28 in Borgo Val di Taro, the opening of Gods & Princesses, a solo exhibition by Dina Goldstein, an artist born in 1969 in Tel Aviv (Israel), who lives and works in Vancouver (Canada). The exhibition is curated by Bianca Maria Rizzi and Matthias Ritter of “Opus in Artem”, and organised in close collaboration with the Municipality of Borgo Val di Taro.

Dina Goldstein creates large-scale tableau photography that combines visually stunning imagery with social critique.  She constructs complex narratives that examine Archetypes within fictional characters to define and contextualize pop culture today. Her work not only carries influential artistic merit, but also serves to be a sociological study, as it questions the artificial values pop culture embeds in our society. Highly controversial, Dina Goldstein’s projects have garnered and continuously creates dialogue internationally within social media platforms, in magazines and newspapers. The work has been subject to many written essays, dissertations, and mentioned in various literature. These projects are studied and taught in art schools, photography programs, Gender and feminist ­­­studies.

The exhibition Gods & Princesses in Borgo Val di Taro features works from the series The Fallen Princesses and Gods of Suburbia.

The series Fallen Princesses consists of 10 photographs depicting Disney Princesses and other Fairy Tale characters placed within a modern environment. The work examines elements of the human condition and creates metaphor out of the myths of fairy tales, forcing the viewer to contemplate real life: failed dreams, the fallacy of chasing eternal youth, obesity, Cancer, the extinction of indigenous cultures, pollution, ocean degradation and war. By embracing the textures and colors created by Walt Disney, which built a multi-billion-dollar empire exploiting these fairy tales, the work questions the notion of the idealistic ‘Happily Ever After’ motif, composed by Disney, and spoon fed to children throughout the world.

With this series Dina Goldstein achieved her international breakthrough in the art market.
The series brought Goldstein numerous TV appearances and contributions and made her famous in a short time.
Watch here a few examples: Fanny Kiefer Show / CTV / Spain Mega TV / CBS ART Canada

The princesses are joined by a selection of works from the 2014 Gods of Suburbia series, which is the third themed series created by Dina Goldstein.

This is Dina Goldstein’s third large-scale project. The work is a visual analysis of religious faith within the context of the modern forces of technology, science, and secularism. Dina utilizes archetypes from within the collective unconscious, and from religious iconography, and places them into contemporary environments. The project challenges the viewer — religious or secular to embark on a journey of self-reflection as they contemplate the relevance of ancient ethics and morals in a society characterized by materialism and consumerism.

Watch here the Making of and behind the scenes-Video and this interview with Dina Goldstein about the series.

It should be noted that the exhibition is part of the Opus in Artem in Itinere exhibition concept, which is inspired by the “Freiraum” initiative already successfully implemented in Germany in the early 1990s, in the period immediately after German reunification, when large unused spaces in East German cities were allocated to cultural and artistic projects: with the consequence, also, of attracting investors and private buyers to the various properties and promoting their reconstruction.

Opus in Artem In Itinere works in a similar way, using temporarily vacant shops and shops to bring international art and culture to various points in the Taro Valley. The project involves using an exhibition space for a maximum of three months, after which the initiative moves to another location in the valley. Evidently, this concept can only work in collaboration with the owners of the exhibition sites, who make them available rent-free, embracing the idea that art can help improve the cultural but also the economic life of the valley’s citizens.

In turn, the owner can use both the current exhibition and the related images and promotional material to market his property, which greatly increases the possibility of generating interest in it.

The international art exhibited in the valley attracts professionals and collectors, even from sometimes distant cities such as Milan, Bergamo, Parma, Piacenza, La Spezia and Genoa: qualified people who would probably never have come to our area without this cultural offer. These, in turn, bring business to local shops and restaurants, and return to their towns with positive impressions of the Taro Valley, which they will spread and tell others about, thus creating a virtuous circle effect.

Dina Goldstein, Gods & Princesses, solo exhibition
Curators: Bianca Maria Rizzi and Matthias Ritter
Organisation: Opus in Artem, Municipality of Borgo Val di Taro
Tecnical Sponsors:
Artarredo Mobili Galluzzi di Borgo Val di Taro
Fortunati Elettrodomestici di Borgo Val di Taro

Opening: Saturday 12 February 2022, h 18.30 – 20.30
Opening period: 12th February – 12th March 2022
Exhibition address: Via Nazionale 28, 43043 Borgo Val di Taro (PR)
Opening times: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 11-13 / 16-18