Villa Rosa in Anacapri hosts “ROSA”: a journey through contemporary art, memory, and social responsibility.

In Anacapri, contemporary art encounters memory, the environment, and collective responsibility. The spaces of Villa Rosa , on Viale Axel Munthe, are hosting "ROSA – Romantic Obsession Without Harmony ," an exhibition project open until September 20, 2026 , designed to reinterpret Joseph Beuys 's artistic and political legacy in the present.

The exhibition is organized by the Sale della Terra Consortium in collaboration with the Municipality of Anacapri and is curated by Manuela Schiano and Fabrizio Scomparin , nephew of the historic gallery owner Lucio Amelio, a central figure in the diffusion of Beuys's work in Italy.

Joseph Beuys's symbolic return to Capri

The starting point of the journey is the profound relationship Joseph Beuys developed with Capri in the 1970s and 1980s. For the German artist, the island represented not just a geographical destination, but a place capable of fueling a broader reflection on the relationship between nature, energy, creativity, and social transformation.

The exhibition presents some emblematic works from his career, accompanied by historical documents and archival materials. Among the works included in the project are "La rivoluzione siamo noi , " "Capri-Batterie," and "Rose für direkte Demokratie ," or Rose for Direct Democracy . The exhibition also includes a conversation recorded in Capri between Beuys, Lucio Amelio, and journalist Giuliana Gargiulo.

Particularly evocative is the presence of the Capri-Batterie , a work in which a lemon is connected to a yellow light bulb: an image that connects natural energy, light and man's ability to transform reality.

A dialogue with three contemporary artists

Beuys's legacy is not presented as a simple historical testimony. The project instead connects it with the work of Alessandro Rillo, Alessio Romenzi, and Bruno Albi Marini , who are called upon to address some of the most pressing issues of the present: the environment, war, identity, memory, technology, and individual responsibility.

Alessandro Rillo , an artist born in Torrecuso and active in Benevento, works with stone, wire from abandoned vineyards, jute, and recycled materials. His installations transform discarded elements into tools for reflection on the relationship between humanity, nature, and the landscape.

Photojournalist Alessio Romenzi presents photographs taken in Syria in 2012, images reflecting the effects of the war on the civilian population. His work introduces a direct reflection on peace, the value of bearing witness, and the risk of indifference in the face of conflict.

Bruno Albi Marini brings to Villa Rosa a visual and interactive research focused on contemporary identity, hyperconnection, and the increasingly complex relationship between individuals and images in the digital age.

Art as social responsibility

The thread that runs through the entire exhibition is Beuy's concept of "social sculpture" : the idea that every individual can participate in the transformation of society through their thoughts, their actions, and their ability to imagine new forms of coexistence.

From this perspective, art is not simply an object to be contemplated but becomes a tool for participation. Environment, memory, peace, and identity cease to be abstract themes and become questions addressed directly to the visitor.

It is precisely this aspect that makes the choice of Villa Rosa as the venue for the exhibition particularly significant.

Villa Rosa, from historic residence to cultural hub

Villa Rosa is one of Anacapri's historic residences. It was expanded in the 19th century by the English physician Henry Thompson Green and takes its name from his second wife, Rosa D'Angiola, a native of Anacapri. Its history has been marked by the encounter of different cultures since its inception.

Between 2018 and 2023, the facility underwent a major renovation. Since 2024, management has been entrusted, through a six-year agreement, to the Sale della Terra Civil Economy Network , with the goal of transforming Villa Rosa into a place capable of combining culture, hospitality, and social inclusion.

The building now also houses a permanent collection of works by Raffaele Castello , temporary exhibitions, a library, a children's area, a conference room and the Alimenta bistro.

It is therefore in a place already built around the idea of ​​openness and participation that Beuys's thought finds a new interpretation. Villa Rosa thus becomes not only the exhibition's container, but an integral part of its meaning.

An exhibition that questions the present

The ROSA project seeks to build a bridge between different eras. On the one hand, Beuys's research and his idea of ​​art as a force capable of impacting society; on the other, the issues of 2026: environmental crisis, wars, collective memory, digital identity, and the fragility of communities.

The positive response to the opening on July 25th, which was attended by a large audience, confirmed the interest in a project that seeks to transcend the traditional exhibition model and transform the exhibition experience into an opportunity for discussion.

“ROSA – Romantic Obsession Without Harmony” will remain open to visitors at Villa Rosa, Viale Axel Munthe 4, Anacapri , until September 20, 2026. The opening hours indicated by the structure are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 15 pm and from 19 pm to 22 pm.

Tags: Anacapri, Villa Rosa, ROSA, Joseph Beuys, Contemporary Art