Quaranta Giorni and Cuarenta Noches will feature Carolina Correa’s portraits of Italian-Argentinian migrants. The exhibit tells the story of migration through the eyes of a direct descendant. The featured individuals are relatives of the artist and her friends, the most important being her great-grandfather Dominico Vitulano. The portraits represent the period between WWI and WWII in which Italians immigrated to Argentina to seek refuge from war-induced poverty. The Italian-Spanish title Quaranta Giorni and Cuarenta Noches translates to “40 days and 40 nights” and is a direct reference to the amount of time it took to travel by boat from Italy to Buenos Aires. Each portrait is accompanied by the original photo on which the portrait is based and the year when the subject immigrated to Argentina. Old luggage and replicated objects of those featured in the portraits will be displayed alongside the paintings for a deeper communication of the journey experienced. The exhibit represents not only stories of migration but also family, poverty, memories, and a sense of identity. 

Artist Bio

Carolina Correa is a painter from Buenos Aires, Argentina living in Florence, Italy. She has painted her entire life, but originally studied fashion design at the University of Buenos Aires. She took art classes while she lived in Argentina, and when her studies ended in 2016 she decided to move abroad to keep practicing, finding herself in Florence. Here, she took a class on oil painting and eventually made the decision to move here full time. While studying in Florence she discovered the palette knife method of oil painting, which has remained her preferred medium ever since. Correa is inspired by pop art and the use of many colors. She works and teaches in her own studio where she partners with local artists. In 2020, her paintings were featured in a cocktail book entitled “Animal Kingdom”, from the Atrium Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence.  She aims to share her artistic passion with others, with her personal endeavors, commissioned pieces, and techniques.