The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago is partnering with the Field Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater for two summertime events celebrating Italian visual and performing arts as part of the official Year of Italian Culture.

On June 24, Marco Nereo Rotelli, best known for his large-scale installations at past editions of the Venice Biennale, will use light, poetry and music for "Divina Natura," in which he will transform the Field's facade into a visual representation of Dante's Divine Comedy. In conjunction with the installation, the Italian Cultural Institute, 500 N. Michigan, will feature an exhibition of Rotelli's works on paper, June 13-28.

As part of its World Stages programming, Chicago Shakespeare will host Italy's Piccolo Teatro di Milano for a staging of Eduardo De Filippo's post-war comedy "Inner Voices" June 25-29 in the Courtyard Theatre at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand. The show will be directed by and star Toni Servillo (winner of the 2007 Best Actor, Venice Film Festival). Tickets, $50-$70 are now on sale at (312) 595-5600 or online at www.chicagoshakes.com/innervoices.

For more information on events in conjunction with the Year of Italian Culture, visit http://www.iicchicago.esteri.it/IIC_Chicago.

By Miriam Di Nunzio / The Chicago Sun-Times