In the snake grove – 150 years of Serpentara
In 1873, a group of artists spontaneously organized a rescue and fundraising campaign to prevent the imminent deforestation of the „Serpentara“ (snake grove), an oak forest in the small mountain town of Olevano Romano to the east of Rome. September 2023 marked the 150th anniversary of the successful crowdfunding campaign. Celebrations have already taken place in Olevano Romano with guests from Germany and Italy. This year, we are bringing the festivities to the Akademie der Künste to mark the preservation of this special place also in Berlin.
Since the middle of the 20th century, the Akademie der Künste has used the „Villa Serpentara“ as a residence for artists. The residency scholarships are managed by the JUNGE AKADEMIE in collaboration with the German Academy of Rome Villa Massimo on site.
To mark the anniversary, the Akademie der Künste invites you to an artistic evening where readings, performances and concerts as well as a small exhibition by Serpentara scholarship holders will evoke stories and memories of this place that has served as a place of inspiration and retreat for many generations of artists. As part of the celebration, the book Im Schlangenhain / Nella Serpentara (edited by Clara Herrmann and Anneka Metzger, commissioned by the Akademie der Künste), which was developed with artists and art historians to mark the anniversary, will also be presented.
The program of the ceremony includes artistic contributions among others by
Moshtari Hilal, visual artist and writer, Villa Serpentara Fellow of the Visual Arts Section (2023)
Terézia Mora, writer, member of the Literature Section of the Akademie der Künste, Villa Serpentara Fellow of the Literature Section (2002) and Rome Prize Fellow of the Villa Massimo (2006)
Sarah Nemtsov, composer, member of the Music Section of the Akademie der Künste, Villa Serpentara Fellow of the Music Section (2011)
Prinz Gholam, visual artists, Villa Serpentara Fellows of the Fine Arts Section (2009) and winners of the Art Prize of the Fine Arts Section of the Academy of Arts (2019) as well as the Rome Prize of the Villa Massimo (2020/21)
Saving the Serpentara. Reading from historical letters and documents from the archive of the Akademie der Künste, with Inger-Maria Mahlke, writer, Villa Serpentara Fellow of the Literature Section 2019, and reader TBA.
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