Basel and Jena, a return trip and a visit to the Professor’s homeland.
After fifteen years, I travelled to Basel with my son Gonzalo to meet my dear gallerist and friend Rita Ficher Rohr. I had exhibited my work in her gallery, in December 2007, after an exhibition that same year, at the MUBE, Museo Brasileiro da Escultura, São Paulo. At that time, Professor Johachim Verspohl participated in the gallery as Rita’s mentor and great dear friend.
As soon as I arrived at Basel, a waterfall of memories emerged! December 2007…I arrived AT the gallery to prepare my work; there was a powerful exhibition of the Bali Sculptures Series by the great master Frank Stella. I still remember how excited I was when stretching my canvases with Mr Prendina, surrounded by the movement and the energy of his work!…The days before the exhibition; the meeting with Mr. Beyeler at his gallery together with Rita; the long talks with Monica Wosthoff, the historian at the Beyeler Foundation who wrote about my work; the dinner with Monika and Rita, at the Kunsthalle ; and so many special moments spent at the gallery, with Alberto, Isabella, and Luma with only 9 years old!
Embracing the work of an artist is embracing his soul, and that gratitude remains forever in an eternal present. This might be the reason why meeting Rita after so many years at the Beyeler Foundation made me felt as if time had not passed. I will be always grateful to her.
The only references that showed me the passing of time were the presence of Luma, now a beautiful 25-year-old woman, art lover, great dancer…and my son Gonzalo, a film director and professor, passionate about his art, who at the time of the exhibition was only 11 and was now in Basel with 27.
I got to know Professor Joachim Verspohl through Rita; I could not meet him in person, but I could know him through her anecdotes and through the enormous affection, admiration and respect she felt towards him. But my work brought us together.
During my exhibition at the Gallery, as an Art professor at the University of Jena, he asked Rita if I could donate a work to the University’s collection. I considered it a great honor and offered him to choose the painting he liked most. And from that moment, thanks to the Professor, the work
Transformandonos is part of the important collection of the Friedrich Shiller University, with works from Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys…a great honor for me! In April this year, while I was planning my trip to Basel, I felt a strong desire to go to Germany. It did not surprise me at all because I have always wished to visit Weimar, the birthplace of Bauhaus, and I also felt like travelling to Jena, but without knowing in which part of Germany it was. When I started looking for information about Weimar, the University of Jena appeared in the first place, in all the links, with its great history, at only 15 minutes from Weimar. I couldn’t believe it! I felt the Professor himself was inviting me to his place…so I shared with Rita my need to go to the University, which was part of my work’s path. Rita contacted Dr Juliane Von Fircks, Director of the University who was delighted to meet me, to show me the work and to walk together along the University. From that moment on everything began to flow like a river in which one should only let oneself go.
I arrived at the Schwarzer Bar hotel on Rita’s recommendation, opposite the University, a building with an incredible history! Apart from being the “Professor’s hotel”, Goethe used to stay there too..! The next morning, at 10 am, Dr Juliane Von Fircks, Director of the University, Dr Babett Forster, Head of the Custody of the University and Gina Grond, Conservator at the Custody, were waiting for me at the Frommannsches Anwesen, Furstengraben 18, to go to see the work!
I was warmly welcomed , and after introducing ourselves, they told me that we had to walk a bit. At this moment, I was thinking that without doubt my painting was going to be with the other works of the collection, in some storage; I never allowed myself to think of another possibility.
We walked through the dreamy streets of Jena, climbed a little hill, and to my surprise, we arrived at the entrance of a huge modern building, the University’s Zentrum Fur Angewandte Forschung (ZAF), where “Transformandonos”, my work, greeted us with all its light and color, at the entrance of the main hall!!.
It has been exhibited there since 2014, it was its home. I felt a very strong emotion. I was so grateful to the Professor.
I went back later, alone, to visit it again!
That afternoon, at 6, I was invited by Dr Juliane Von Fircks, and Dr. Babett Forster, to an Art History class at the University, given by Prof. Dr. Verena Krieger, successor to Professor Verspohl. For me this was the last gift from Jena! Sitting as a student, and listening to an art history class, in German, that could have been given by him. It was approaching, in some way, to what his days would have been like, at his beloved University.
I ended that unforgettable day in Jena, having dinner with many professors, his colleagues from the University, who greeted me with great affection and interest for my work.
I could never have imagined such a warm welcome.
Thank you Professor Joachim.
And thank you, dear Rita, for making me feel at home again in Basel, and for your dedication and your passion for Art, which has always moved me!
We will return to Jena together, to toast with “Strega” to professor Joachim, and we will be able to offer him a great tribute with my work, God willing.
Thank you Rita!
With love,
Virginia
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