The new exhibition “Mythos: Fantastic Creatures” opens in Turin, the Italian capital of Esotericism
The Magic City hosts the first exhibition of its kind from 7 March to 7 July 2024 at the Antiche Ghiacciaie di Porta Palazzo in the Mercato Centrale Torino.
The thousand-year-old charm of Turin is enriched with a new chapter of mystery and wonder with the arrival of Mythos: Fantastic Creatures, an extraordinary experience that opens the doors of the Ancient Ice Houses of Porta Palazzo at the Turin Central Market starting from 7 March 2024 The new exhibition is ready to reveal for the first time the secrets of white magic and the legendary creatures that populate the collective imagination in the city of Turin, the Italian capital of esotericism.
In myths, deities and legendary figures come to life and transform, often taking hybrid forms composed of real and fantastic animals and even human parts, thus creating entities that embody the darkest and most ambiguous characteristics of humanity. These symbolic and archetypal creatures act as a mirror of the complex and often contradictory nuances of the human condition, representing the passions, primordial instincts and moral dilemmas that characterize man’s existence.
Mythos: Fantastic Creatures offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in humanity’s rich mythological heritage, where ancient deities and legendary creatures come to life in an immersive and breathtaking experience. Over 30 extraordinary mythological subjects, from the wings of the 6 meter high Pegasus to the majestic Phoenix which is reborn every day from her ashes, tell of a distant era and stories handed down from generation to generation. The life-size models are prepared with taxidermy and sculpture techniques, and are set within sets with video projections and screens that transport you to fantastic worlds where creatures such as Anubis, the Egyptian god with the appearance of a dog, the legendary Dracula and the fearsome Cerberus come to life before the eyes of the spectator. But not only that: along the route you come across the Werewolf, a human being who transforms into a wolf during full moon nights, and Quetzalcoatl, the magnificent lord of creation and knowledge in Aztec mythology who reigns supreme over the city some gods. His figure is characterized by a serpentine body adorned with splendid green and blue feathers (which recall the image of the Quetzal bird from which it takes its name) and represents the duality between heaven and earth, embodying cosmic balance and wisdom divine. The exhibition continues with films in which Ovid guides the visitor by retracing the history of the myths and presenting some key figures of Greek mythology such as the Sphinx, a legendary creature of ancient Greek mythology, which with its lion body and human head challenges men with insoluble enigmas, such as the one proposed to the Thebans by Oedipus, and the Minotaur, half man and half bull, fruit of the gods’ desire for revenge, who lives in a labyrinth and represents a constant challenge for the heroes who dare to face him, until he is defeated by Theseus with cunning and courage, thus freeing the people of Crete from his terrible dominion.
Mythos: Fantastic Creatures is more than a simple exhibition: it is a journey through the boundaries of reality and fantasy, a dive into the past and into the heart of the legends that date back thousands of years and that have characterized the cultural imagination of the entire population. The exhibition is suitable for people of all ages, families and children who wish to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of the heroes of popular tales, offering a unique opportunity to get closer to these iconic characters through detailed displays and engaging interactive experiences.
Turin Central Market and the Ancient Ice Houses of Porta Palazzo
An ideal square of goodness where food and culture meet, the Turin Central Market is a space of 4,500 m2 spread over three floors where you can discover the goodness of the artisans, go shopping and take part in a series of events including meetings, debates and workshops aimed to adults and children. It is located in Piazza della Repubblica 25 and is open every day.
Right in the heart of the Turin Central Market, as evidence of a bygone time, are the Ancient Ice Houses of Porta Palazzo, the largest market in the city. Born in the 18th century to preserve food and goods, they were used by merchants of the time as large refrigerators to preserve food and goods. Ice (like salt) was a precious commodity for preserving food, and it was precisely in the iceboxes that it was stored. Those of Porta Palazzo were discovered during the works for the Fuksas architectural project and are today one of the most evocative places and stages of underground Turin.
Tickets can be purchased on the official website of the exhibition www.mythoscreaturefantastiche.it about are www.happyticket.it, www.ticketone.it e www.vivaticket.com.
Place
Ancient Ice Houses of Porta Palazzo
at the Central Market of Turin
Piazza della Repubblica, 25 – Turin
Dates and times
From 7 March to 7 July 2024
From Wednesday to Sunday: from 10am to 7pm (last entry at 6pm)
IMPORTANT: Numerous extraordinary openings are planned, both on holidays and midweek, please consult the online calendar on the official website www.mythoscreaturefantastiche.it