From 29th October 2015, Mazzoleni Galleria d’Arte proudly presents Rooms for dialogues curated by Francesco Poli in its historic venue in Piazza Solferino 2, Turin. Inaugurated a few days before Artissima – where the gallery itself is represented by a retrospective dedicated to Agostino Bonalumi – the exhibition shows some possible dialogues among artists of different generations. As a matter of fact, by relating the very artists in terms of similarities and differences, the exhibition suggests an innovative point of view to explore their artworks.
The programme of the exhibition is developed through several rooms that emotionally and physically embody an ever-changing history. The artworks are arranged according to a collector’s passion. And although the disposition of the pieces is a result of personal tastes, the exhibition gives a free interpretation of the artistic research concerning the last century art works, comprising Futurism, Minimalist Art, Arte Povera, and the latest discoveries of the aforementioned artists.
In the Salone degli Affreschi, some rare futurist paintings by Giacomo Balla are displayed. Their dynamic and geometrical tension is a clear influence of Agostino Bonalumi, Gianni Colombo, and Alberto Biasi. In the Sala Dalí, Fausto Melotti’s plastic architectures oppose their fragile poetry to some small-size minimalist artworks by Giuseppe Uncini. In the Foyer di Palazzo Panizza, both Lucio Fontana’s ‘cuttings’ and Michelangelo Pistoletto’s ‘mirrors’ explore the concept of space. The Former gets rid of the bi-dimensionality. The latter chooses the refraction of the image.
In the Salone della Armi, Enrico Castellani’s modular surfaces create harmony through the rigour of Gianni Piacentino’s work, consisting of clear and well-finished wall relieves. In the Salone del Camino, on the frescos vault, you can find two couples of artists. Mario Merz and Mattia Moreni – the first couple characterized by a strong friendship and mutual respect – create an unexpected dialogue, as a result of the comparison between Merz’s archetypical structure of an igloo and a violent, informal painting by Moreni. On the other hand, the second couple is formed by both Alberto Burri and Pierpaolo Calzolari. Their affinity is possible because of the primary expressivity of materials and media, specifically the fire.
In the Sala Solferino, some art pieces by Giulio Paolini create an ideal dialogue with the work of the metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico, one of the beloved spiritual masters of Paolini. Eventually, the exhibition comes to an end in the Sala Fontana Angelica that shows the aesthetical elaboration of writing, from the multicolour cryptograms by Alighiero Boetti to Giuseppe Capogrossi’s pictorial composition characterised by sign twists.