Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Cool Convention News! - Xoanon @ 13:31 PST
Starting from the next 27th of July the fortress of Agolanti of Riccione will become the magnificent scenery of “Images from the Middle Earth”, a fantastic trip on the paths of art from literature to cinema.
Until the 20th of August, Riccione will houses indeed the worldwide preview of the first international exhibition about “The Lord of the Ring” never conceived and realized before, under the sponsorship of the Government’s Premiership and the Ministry of Communications.

Arteventi, society for the creation of cultural events, and the Italian Tolkienian Society will bring to Italy the best international show concerning fantasy never carried out in the last decades, coinciding with the recent release of the successful film “The Lord of the Ring-The Fellowship of the Ring”.
The event includes more than 120 original items by Angus Mcbride (SA), Ted Nasmith(CA), Roger Garland (UK), Brothers Hildebrandt (USA), Alan Lee (UK), Lode Claes (BE), Rob Alexander (USA), Luca Michelucci (IT), Anton Spazzapan (SLO), Angelo Montanini (IT), Pascal Yung (FR), Tony Galuidi (UK), Capucine Mazille (FR), Mikel Janin (SP), Patrick Gely (FR), Ivan Cavini (IT), Anke K. Eissmann (GE), April Lee (USA), Stephen Walsh (UK), Randy Asplund (USA), David Wyatt (UK), Roger Thomasson (SW), Carrel Douglas (USA), Danny Staten (USA), Timoleon Kouimtzoglou (GR), Maura Boldi (IT), Ed Beard Jr.(USA), Maria Distefano (IT), Diego Iaconfcic (KR), Michael Rudin (SW), Giovanni Giurco (IT), Peter Gaber (KR), from all over Europe, South Africa, Canada, America. Like in a magnificent mosaic of techniques, colours, lines, and shapes, the artists have recreated pictorially the fantastic story narrated by J.R.R.Tolkien.

Certainly, the Fantasy School needs more scope within the art world and the international exhibition “Images from the Middle Earth”, thanks to the presence of many international artists, is ready to become a spread means of this fascinating world.

Contemporaneously and for the whole period of the exhibition, it will be offer to the public a calendar crammed with collateral event, which, twice a week, will help the visitors to enter into the fantastic world of Tolkien, read on the occasion by the pictorial and sculptural artworks at the show (some of them are Italian, by the famous Luigi Enzo Mattei, others French, by Patrick Gely).

After the official opening of the 27th of July, which, besides, will “burn” the hill of Agolanti with a spectacular firework display, the show will perform concerts of Celtic and Ancient music with an ensemble of great renown (Samhradh - Cormac - I Musici), plays on the subject with the company “International Nazgul Conspiracy”, workshop for the children, the showing of the animated cartoon “The Lord of the Ring” by Ralph Bakshi of the ’78, ending with the convention about Tolkien presented by the S.T.I. (with the participation of the President Paolo Paron and some world-famous experts). Following, a dinner with the appropriate name of “At the inn of the Reared Colt”.
In short, thirty days during which the Agolanti and its slight slope in sight of a beautiful sea will become the ideal scenery where the fans of Tolkien, art experts, families, children, onlookers will be able to satisfy sight, touch, hearing, smell, palate, passing, in the meantime, from the visit of the exhibition to the events which will surround it outside the fortress.

Furthermore, Arteventi, S.T.I. Comune di Riccione – Council for the Arts invite everyone to participate at the show “Images from the Middle Earth”, in order to help who suffer; in fact, only by visiting the exhibition and paying the entry ticket, the visitors will give their contribution to the projects of UNICEF Italy concerning the childhood’s defence. The 10% of the show’s incomes will be assigned to UNICEF Italy, partner of the event, for the project linked to the show “All the children must dream”.

The district of Riccione, in order to make the access at the show easier, provides the visitors with a number of buses to the fortress of Agolanti, which will leave from Azzarita Square and Curriel Square, in Riccione Terme.

The exhibition will last until the 20th of August, open every day (August 15th included) from 19.00 to 24.00.

Entry ticket: 5 Euros (full price) - 3 Euros (reduced price)

Programme of Events:

Saturday 27/7,

9pm –OFFICIAL OPENING

- A chance to meet the artists
- Concert: SAMHRADH (Celtic music)
- Fireworks
(Display by The Defenders of the Fortress)

Tuesday 30/7,

9pm - Screening of the animated film "The Lord of the Rings" by Ralph Bakshi

Friday 2/8,

9pm - Concert: CORMAC (Celtic music)

Tuesday 6/8,

9pm - Play "The Lord of the Rings for children" By the “International Nazgul Conspiracy” Company

Friday 9/8,

9pm - Concert - I MUSICI (Traditional folk music from Celtic countries)

Tuesday 13/8,

9pm - Children’s Workshop "Discovering the Middle Earth" (for 10 to 14 year olds)

Friday 16/8,

9pm - Defenders of the Fortress: "Duels and red-hot swords”

Saturday 17/8

7pm - Convention organised by the "Italian Tolkien Society" (an interview with Paolo Paron, President of the I.T.S. and selected international J.J.R.Tolkien experts)

9pm - Celtica dinner (26 euros per person; advance bookings on 0541/600302) (Display by The Defenders of the Fortress)