The State Public Library in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host the exhibition ‘Pinocchio, Truths and Lies’ from April 9 to April 30. This initiative by the Andersen Collective pays tribute to the bicentennial of the birth of Italian writer Carlo Collodi, author of the famous puppet story.
The exhibition offers a journey through Collodi's life and work, with a special focus on his most famous creation, Pinocchio. The Story of a Puppet. The organizers will present the project details and the activity schedule, which includes conferences, school workshops, and a public reading of the original work at the Gran Canaria Island Library.
With the support of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Cultural Development Institute of the Government of Canarias, and the Poema del Mar Aquarium, the exhibition not only features informative panels but also a bibliographic selection related to Pinocchio and a collection of Pinocchio figures donated by local collector José Jaén.
The objective of this exhibition is to make the work and its context known to the general public, overcoming some clichés and 'lies' that have been spread by the dissemination of versions that have distorted the meaning and depth of the original novel.
The exhibition seeks to demystify the story of Pinocchio, revealing its profound meaning and its connection to 19th-century Italy. Collodi's work, written in 1881, reflects the author's liberal ideas and his vision of a country free from corruption and social inequalities, in a context of major migratory movements.
Both schoolchildren and adults will be able to explore curious aspects of the novel, such as its possible link to Freemasonry and the esoteric meanings present in many of its passages, offering a new perspective on this universal literary classic.
