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The Ferrero Foundation debuted in the figurative arts sector with the 1998 exhibition of Langhe landscapes and artists who were inspired by this area, which is now recognised as a Heritage of Humanity. Following a coherent planning policy on a rediscovery and promotion of the most important figures in the cultural history of Alba and Piedmont with the aim of attracting attention not only from the local area, the Ferrero Foundation and President Maria Franca Ferrero have been sponsoring and organising historical art exhibits for the last 20 years, all of which are characterised by scientific exactitude and idealogical themes and paths.
In this perspective, the Ferrero Foundation makes use of generous and valuable scientific collaborations that guarantee the merit of the individual events and ensure that they will come into being.
The interests and actions of the Foundation range from Ancient Roman times up to the 20th century. Projects are at times dedicated to a single theme illustrated by various artists, or feature significant retrospective exhibitions in partnership with national and international institutions and museums.
The exhibitions, presently held every two years, welcome tens of thousands of visitors who appreciate the high quality works on display and the fact that admission is free, a tangible expression of the corporate social responsibility the Ferrero Family has held to right from the very beginning of their business operations.
Study, training, knowledge sharing
The Ferrero Foundation offers the public in Alba and beyond opportunities to discuss and gain knowledge. it develops its own original paths, making the most of the cultural heritage of Alba and the Piedmont region to launch itself within this open, cosmopolitan context, working synergistically with the bodies and institutions involved in complex projects that benefit society in general.
In the field of art history, the interests of the Foundation range from the 15th century to the contemporary period. Exhibitions, conferences and publications include those on the Renaissance painter Macrino d’Alba and primitive painters from Piedmont; art historian Roberto Longhi (1890-1970), who came from Alba, and artist Pinot Gallizio (1902-1964), who was one of the founders of Situationist International; Giuseppe Vernazza (1745-1822), a politician and scholar with very wide-ranging interests; the figures of the Roman Emperor Publius Helvius Pertinax, who lived in the 2nd Century AD, and the 16th century jurisconsult Pietrino Belli, forerunner of the international human rights law. In the name of Roberto Longhi, the Foundation held an exhibition dedicated to landscapes by Giorgio Morandi, followed by highly valued retrospectives on the works of Carlo Carrà, Felice Casorati, Giacomo Balla; in the literary field, since 1997 it has taken an interest in the writer Beppe Fenoglio (1922-1963) through a Documentation Centre that promotes various initiatives and is open to researchers, students and enthusiasts.
Each year, the Foundation also grants national and international study scholarships to the sons and daughters of Ferrero employees and Seniors, and supports scientific research and research doctorates.
EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES
Educational activities
The Foundation's social and cultural goals include educational activities, which is an indication of its commitment to children.The aim is to help children experience play, creativity, learning and exchange.
Educational activity plays an essential role each year in the planning of the activities of the Nonni Nipoti (Grandparents and Grandchildren) group, where art is experimented through intergenerational activities with grandparents, parents and grandchildren, themed books are purchased to be kept in the Foundation Library, and cultural visits are organised.
Since art can become a stimulus for each of us to understand our identity, history and the reality that surrounds us, educational activities are an integral part of the art exhibitions that the Foundation organises every two years.
Educational tours devised for nursery and primary schools are totally free of charge and last two hours. These promote aesthetic experiences that teach sensitivity, encourage discovery and promote creativity. Guided tours of the exhibits provide an opportunity to learn how to interpret a work of art and children try out techniques, materials and colours in the workshop.
The booklet Famiglie in mostra (Families at exhibits) is given free of charge to any child taken to an exhibit by an adult. It includes a map with questions, games and quizzes for the children and adults to work on together as they discover the secrets of the works on display and become interested in art in a fun way.
Educational activity plays an essential role each year in the planning of the activities of the Nonni Nipoti (Grandparents and Grandchildren) group, where art is experimented through intergenerational activities with grandparents, parents and grandchildren, themed books are purchased to be kept in the Foundation Library, and cultural visits are organised.
Since art can become a stimulus for each of us to understand our identity, history and the reality that surrounds us, educational activities are an integral part of the art exhibitions that the Foundation organises every two years.
Educational tours devised for nursery and primary schools are totally free of charge and last two hours. These promote aesthetic experiences that teach sensitivity, encourage discovery and promote creativity. Guided tours of the exhibits provide an opportunity to learn how to interpret a work of art and children try out techniques, materials and colours in the workshop.
The booklet Famiglie in mostra (Families at exhibits) is given free of charge to any child taken to an exhibit by an adult. It includes a map with questions, games and quizzes for the children and adults to work on together as they discover the secrets of the works on display and become interested in art in a fun way.
BEPPE FENOGLIO DOCUMENTATION CENTRE
The Beppe Fenoglio Documentation Centre is a permanent project of the Ferrero Foundation in Alba, active since 1997. The centre collects all the documents (on any media) linked to the life and work of Beppe Fenoglio, a writer from Alba, and makes them available for consultation, in addition to bibliographic and critical material for students and researchers. The centre carries out its own studies and promotes research aiming to obtain better knowledge of the author and areas never before investigated or little-known aspects of his work. It plans and encourages meetings, seminars and public conferences, as well as publishing, exhibition, musical and theatre projects and other unique ventures that are effective and useful for broadening knowledge or finding a new interpretation of Fenoglio's work. It constantly updates the Fenoglio bibliographical database, which can be consulted at the centre. It works with schools and other bodies and associations motivated by the same principles of study, respect, passion for the writer, especially with the Beppe Fenoglio Study Centre in Alba that the Ferrero Foundation helped found.
PUBLICATIONS
Over the years, the Ferrero Foundation has promoted the publication of various books, some entrusted to publishing companies (or planned as co-editions), others published by the Foundation itself and independently circulated. All of these mark the progress of its interests and its initiatives in the cultural and social fields.
Organised as series – such as “Momenti”, the main one – or linked to one another through an exhibit (since 1996), the publications now form a substantial publishing catalogue, which includes monographs on history, art, literature and science, exhibition catalogues, correspondence, children's books and original papers on the subject of ageing. They are texts that guide and reflect social and medical experience, as well as in-depth studies of the cultural heritage of Alba and Piedmont not only from a local viewpoint but in an attempt to provide a universal perspective.
Thus, the organised list of these publications outlines the history of the Foundation, its research and knowledge-sharing process, its wish to leave a document accessible to everyone and contribute to the advancement of knowledge wherever its curiosity takes it.
Organised as series – such as “Momenti”, the main one – or linked to one another through an exhibit (since 1996), the publications now form a substantial publishing catalogue, which includes monographs on history, art, literature and science, exhibition catalogues, correspondence, children's books and original papers on the subject of ageing. They are texts that guide and reflect social and medical experience, as well as in-depth studies of the cultural heritage of Alba and Piedmont not only from a local viewpoint but in an attempt to provide a universal perspective.
Thus, the organised list of these publications outlines the history of the Foundation, its research and knowledge-sharing process, its wish to leave a document accessible to everyone and contribute to the advancement of knowledge wherever its curiosity takes it.
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