Some things linger no matter how much time has passed. Artist and curator, Rossella Paolini invites viewers into a space where folklore, memory, and imagination feel intimately familiar in “Distant Echoes – European Myths & Legends” group show at Curio Art Gallery. Blending history and mystery, this exhibition traces how stories once shared by candlelight still hold power in our modern world. Connecting past and present with strings tied to the human spirit, some stories never truly disappear…they simply change form.
Learn more about Rossella Paolini’s role as a curator, the symbolism embedded within the exhibition, and the visual language that honors each artist’s expression.
“Distant Echoes – European Myths & Legends”
Group show curated by Rossella Paolini
Exhibition Dates: May 2 – May 31, 2026
Curio Art Gallery
Exclusive Interview with Rossella Paolini
European myths have survived centuries, when curating “Distant Echoes – European Myths & Legends” for Curio Art Gallery, what was this experience like for you and how did you ensure the show felt like a cohesive collection?
Actually, when I came up with the title, I hadn’t thought about the coherence of the exhibition; it was a sudden spark, an intuition, as always happens to me, whether I’m creating a work or the theme of a solo show! In any case, mythology has always been my passion; it’s fertile ground for artists. I thought of ancient stories and European legends because I was very curious about what my colleagues had represented!
“As a curator, I left each artist free to recall their own distant echo.” – Rossella Paolini
What ‘echo’ resonates the deepest for you?
Right now, as I’m completing my three works for the exhibition, my echo is medieval, the miniatures on the parchments of alchemical-philosophical, mythological-religious books! A dive into the magical and mysterious past of the Middle Ages, filled with monsters, strange creatures, angels, saints, and symbolism.
Many myths are part of a shared heritage. How do you view the role of the curator in preserving these stories for a modern audience through visual art?
I am helped by pop surrealist artists who, like me, best represent known myths in a modern key, with respect and love, but also with the fun of recreating those ancient stories with new visual languages!
What was the one element that made you say “this is a Distant Echo”? Was it a specific use of historical symbolism, or a particular way an artist handled the “weight” of the past?
For me, this title represented a vast repertoire of representations. European myths and legends are countless, and the artists come from different parts of Europe, or have European roots. Each of them felt their own distant echo, which could come from legends of their own land, from classical Greek myths, from Norse civilizations, from the mythical stories of Avalon, and even from stories told in their childhood. As a curator, I left each artist free to recall their own distant echo.
From a viewer’s perspective, from the first piece to the last, what is the “story” you, as the curator, hope to tell?
A story that unites us all! A heritage that must not be lost, and thanks to these works, we can rediscover the strength and beauty of the universal symbolism that enriches us throughout time.
“How many ancient stories have we lost? Through these works we have evoked alchemy, witches, saints, manuscripts, dragons, mermaids, priestesses, goblins, and so much more, so that the memory lives on in the eyes and hearts of creators and spectators.”
– Rossella Paolini
Beyond the immense quality of the art, were you looking for an emotional frequency or aesthetic to capture the feeling that honors the artistic expression as well as the narrative?
I was primarily looking for ancient stories to tell, and if possible, also stories from their own homeland. Fortunately, several artists represented legends from their own country, unknown to me. For the aesthetic, I included artists with diverse, yet original and refined styles in the exhibition, creating a diverse and narrative collection of works!
In preparing for this show with Curio Art Gallery, what has been the most rewarding and complex aspect while bringing these ancient European themes to life?
It was certainly more rewarding to see so many works tell fascinating stories full of mystery and pulsating with the life of a distant past, to bring distant echoes to life in every imaginatively created painting and sculpture. Well, it could have been more complex to bring together a group of artists artistically very committed to researching this theme with other exhibitions to present one to three works to be exhibited at Curio Gallery in Portugal!
If this exhibition itself could speak…what do you imagine it would say that will linger even after the show closes?
How many ancient stories have we lost? Through these works we have evoked alchemy, witches, saints, manuscripts, dragons, mermaids, priestesses, goblins, and so much more, so that the memory lives on in the eyes and hearts of creators and spectators.
Rossella Paolini Social Media Accounts
Website | Instagram | Facebook
