Antonella Soldaini – författare

Bonalumi is one of the figures who has made the most significant marks on the Italian artistic scene starting from the 1960s. He took part in the cultural debate that developed in those years, contributing decisively, together with Enrico Baj, Piero Manzoni and Enrico Castellani, to the transcending of informal language in the name of a new objectification of the artwork. Starting from 1959, Agostino Bonalumi began to create shaped works using convex canvas obtained through the use of wooden or steel elements positioned behind the canvas itself. This is a stylistic characteristic that was to remain unchanged over the years and that would lead to the artist testing his skills in both the sculptural and the environmental/architectural fields.Through a special selection of works of small dimensions, created by the artist during the entire course of his career, one can look back to his conceptual and project path, from the convex canvases to his sculptural production. The sophisticated results of the artist’s research are achieved here also thanks to a more intimate dimension, in which he employs his own methodological approach.The works presented here are neither preparatory models nor sketches of works of larger dimensions: rather, they have come about from the same practice and sometimes share the conformation of the larger works. The small format works were often realised following the larger ones, as if the reduced dimensions enabled the artist to better delineate the project idea lying at the basis of the latter.Text in English and Italian.

The volume offers a historical-critical study on the entire career of Marco Tirelli (Rome,1956). His production - surprising and enigmatic - includes works on paper, works on canvas or wood, sculptures, installations, whose subjects always appear poised between recognisability and abstraction: the figures and scenes represented are made up of a densification of microscopic particles of colours that from a distance seem well defined, but which, when viewed from a short distance, break down.A subtle, intellectual painting, therefore, the result of an introspective investigation carried out with dedication. The same tension between illusion and reality, between light and shadow, also characterises the sculptures and installations, as documented in these pages.The volume includes a historical-critical essay by Antonella Soldaini, a conversation with the artist, a biographical note and a documentary summary.Text in English and Italian.

This volume accompanies a major anthological exhibition that celebrates and pays tribute to Mario Nigro (1917-1992), a painter who left a lasting impression on the artistic panorama of our time. Mario Nigro’s art has deep roots in the principal artistic currents of the 20th century and is of the most astonishing originality. This has made him hugely appreciated internationally, as we can see in the presence of his works in the most prestigious museums and exhibitions in Italy and abroad.This volume contains an essay by Antonella Soldaini, an interview by Elena Tettamanti with Tommaso Trini on the work and figure of Mario Nigro, an essay by Francesca Pola dedicated to the work on paper, a detailed chronology and an updated bio-bibliographic apparatus.“At a certain point I need to sing, I need to paint, I need to do something; it is the reflection of a need for love, irrespective of any manifest tragedy or drama.” Mario NigroText in English and Italian.