Il giardino dei semplici
In the imagination of artist Elena Caterina Doria, born in Milan and adopted by Monferrato, nature holds an absolutely central place. A microcosm and an alchemical laboratory, in her personal “Giardino dei semplici” (Garden of Simples), the artist reinterprets in a contemporary key the botanical garden of the Ducal Palace of Mantua, following the fil rouge of the connection that for centuries has united these Gonzaga territories. The exhibition, curated by Paola Artoni, will be on view from Friday, May 30 (opening at 5:30 pm) through June 22 in Mantua, at the Casa del Rigoletto (Piazza Sordello 23).
Her drawn trees, often created with nothing more than a simple Bic pen, emerge without hesitation and stand as “columns of the sky” supporting humanity. As the curator writes:
“The exhibition itinerary unfolds starting with ‘Dialogues with Nature,’ drawings of trees, branches, and nests, copied from life or remembered. The second room, ‘Nature in Transformation,’ offers a dreamlike and surreal vision where nests and roses evoke dreams and poetry of the soul. The third room, titled ‘Locus originis,’ hosts the ‘Nidus Mundi,’ a large drawing made on recycled paper: a human heart of blades of grass and interwoven branches embracing animals and plants, which also gives rise to a reforestation project in the Monferrato area. The final section presents ‘Cunabula naturae’ (winner of the Selvatica Prize 2020), the ‘Triptych of the Sacred Feminine and Nature’ (Paratissima Prize 2020), and the new project ‘Il Giardino dei Semplici,’ inspired by the botanical garden designed by friar Zenobio Bocchi for the Gonzaga. The artist has chosen to work with Petri dishes, typically used for laboratory cultures, in which she placed drawings of fantastic plants created on “plantable” cotton paper embedded with seeds. From this fusion of art and nature arises a utopian garden, conceived to heal the ills of our contemporary society.”
The exhibition is promoted by the Municipality of Mantua, organized with the support of Numm Contemporary Art and Saporiti Italia, under the patronage of MAM – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Gazoldo and Aroma Itinerarium Salutis – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, in collaboration with the “Giulio Romano” Art High School of Mantua, with which the artist conducted a workshop on drawing.
The exhibition will be open daily with free admission, from 9 am to 6 pm.
In conjunction with the solo exhibition, on Saturday, June 14 at 4:30 pm, the Garden of Palazzo d’Arco will host the presentation of the monograph “Elena Caterina Doria. Cosmogonia (works 2012–2025)”, curated by Paola Artoni (Artbook, 2025).