Fantastical Herbarium making workshop
Sunday, October 4
11:00 am–1:00 pm
Sala Biblioteca, Villa Antica
Erbario dell'altrove
with Ilaria Demonti, author and illustrator of picture books
[Event with a minimum contribution and by reservation. Admission to Orticolario is not included in the cost of the workshop.]*
In the Dioscurides Neapolitanus manuscript, the properties and uses of more than 400 plant species are illustrated in the form of a herbarium. Yet the scribes who illuminated the manuscript also found themselves depicting plants they had never seen in real life, relying solely on written descriptions. This workshop draws inspiration from this process of interpretation and invention to explore the creation of surreal plants through original illustrations, deliberately not entirely faithful to reality.
Using a pasta machine and other techniques — including observing live plants — participants will create two overlapping prints, from which an unexpected small artwork emerges, born from the encounter between observation of the real world, memory and imagination.
* Thanks to your contribution, you help us support cultural projects.
Orticolario is much more than an event: it is a project that creates value for the local area and its community.
To discover the initiatives supported and the charitable aims of the event, visit the cultural and social purposes section
Please note that the event will be held in Italian.
Bio
Ilaria Demonti is an author and illustrator of picture books. Alongside her publishing work, she collaborates with schools, libraries, museums and festivals, devising and leading creative workshops for both adults and children.
Among her most significant collaborations and experiences are workshops held at Palazzo Reale in Milan, as well as those at the La macchina dei sogni festival in Palermo and Firenze dei bambini.
She also created the artistic workshop and performance “Passa-porti” for the Sponz Fest.