The Gates of the Afterlife

The Italian show The Gates of the Afterlife is dedicated to the theme of the Afterlife’s vision according to the funerary art of the ancient Etruscan and Roman civilizations. It presents a variety of artistic representations of Hades or the Island of the Blessed, and the journey of the soul to the Underworld. Many artists interpret in a contemporary way with figurative drawings and paintings the ancient Greek and Roman myths and religious beliefs. They are often inspired by the ancient iconography and the “door” that is represented in or out of the Etruscan tombs, as the entrance of the house. Some artists reflect instead on the universal values of the Afterlife and represent in abstract forms or with environments the elusive mystery of Time and Eternity.

The collective exhibition is inspired by the rich repertoire of images, myths and ancient beliefs, which characterizes the history and identity of Italy and the Mediterranean area, to investigate better what it means for us today the unearthly and spiritual dimension and how the contemporary artists can imagine and represent the invisible world of the Afterlife.