ASTI.- For decades, the world has known Paolo Conte by the smoky timbre of his voice, the lyrical genius of his songwriting, and the jazzy, melancholic rhythm that defines his music. But tucked away, almost like a secret chord, has always been his profound passion for the visual arts. This November, that secret is finally brought into the dazzling light.
Starting November 5th, the historic halls of Palazzo Mazzetti in Asti will host “Paolo Conte. Original,” an exhibition hailed as the most comprehensive look ever mounted—in Italy or abroad—at the painterly soul of the globally adored Italian musician. Organized by the Asti Musei Foundation in collaboration with Arthemisia, this show isn't just an accompaniment to his music; it's an overdue homage to the artist who claims his love for drawing predates his devotion to song.
"Drawing is one of my two capital vices, older than the one for music and songs.” – Paolo Conte
With over 140 works on paper, spanning nearly seven decades, the exhibition promises a rare, unfiltered look at the man behind the iconic verses. It’s a chance for fans to see how the same unique, unmistakable style that graces his melodies also commands a pencil or brush.
More Than Just Lyrics on Paper
Conte, the undisputed icon of Italian canzone d'autore, has graced stages from New York's Blue Note to Milan's La Scala. Yet, this exhibition pivots the focus to his visual language, a language rooted in elegance, irony, and a signature jazz-infused melancholy.
The display is intentionally curated to mirror the "absolutely singular poetic universe" of the Maestro himself. Visitors will encounter works dating back almost seventy years, including early pieces like Higginbotham (1957), a vibrant tempera and ink tribute to an early jazz trombonist. Also prominently featured are panels from his massive multimedia project, Razmataz—an epic work entirely conceived, written, and drawn by Conte, set in the bohemian, jazz-soaked Paris of the 1920s.
For many, the true revelation will be the sheer diversity of his technique. While his music is instantly recognizable, his drawings range from the feverish, near-caricature lines of figures dancing the Jitterbug to the soft, sinuous curves illustrating the lyrics of his 1987 song, Non sense.
Color as Musical Harmony
Perhaps the most fascinating insight into Conte’s mind comes through his relationship with color. He doesn't just use color; he assigns it, maintaining a deeply personal, almost synesthetic palette where musical notes correspond to specific hues—C is pale white, F is red, B$\flat$ is midnight blue.
This concept links his painting directly to his composing. The exhibition highlights works steeped in this personal chromatic vision, often showing influences from German Expressionism and the refined Fauvism of Matisse, who himself believed musical tones should form a "living chord." In the intensely colorful works from the 1970s, like the kaleidoscopic Squirrel, circus man, color becomes the driving force, framing his humorously melancholic observations of life. Later works, like Memory Lane, show a stark return to the spare, evocative power of black ink.
Steinberg, Jazz, and the Power of the Title
Conte’s signature humor and intellectual playfulness are abundantly evident in pieces like Conversazioni americane. Here, a witty dialogue about olives amusingly pivots to the perfect Martini, a paradox that echoes the subtle, layered observations of 20th-century humorists like Saul Steinberg, whom Conte clearly admires.
The jazz influence, his lifelong companion, flows through the entire exhibition. Works related to Razmataz pay homage to the era when jazz stormed Europe. La Reine Noire, an intense piece recalling Matisse and Picasso, symbolizes the embrace of a new, primal energy—the very energy brought by artists like Joséphine Baker. Counterbalancing this is the abstract, soulful figure of Doctor Jazz, playing his one-string bass, a defender of "black authenticity and identity" in Conte's artistic narrative.
A separate, compelling section focuses on works done on black cardstock since 2013. Conte calls these his "stylistic exercises," inviting a playful dialogue with culture, from Picasso’s Demoiselles d'Avignon to tributes to jazz legends like Louis Armstrong. Here, color "dances" against the black background, emphasizing form and rhythm over strict representation.
"Original" is more than a title; it is an assertion of artistic integrity. By curating this journey himself, with the guiding principle to "leave the public the possibility to imagine with maximum freedom," Paolo Conte invites us not just to look at his paintings, but to listen closely to the silence between the notes. This exhibition is an unmissable chance to experience the rich, visual world of a man who has always been ahead of his time.
