This important personal show of the works of Francesco Somaini proposed by Galleria Open Art of Prato renders a summary survey of the motifs that characterised the various phases of the Lombard sculptor’s informal season in examples selected from his Verticali, Orizzontali and Oblique and his Martìri and Feriti cycles and from his later Memorie dell’Apocalisse, Racconti and Figure di Fuoco. Most of these works are from U.S. collections or were shown at the artist’s exhibitions abroad during his informal period. Herein, they are discussed by Francesco Tedeschi, who continues his study of the fortunes of Italian art in the U.S. and the works brought together at the New York New York. Arte Italiana. La riscoperta dell’America exhibition which he curated and staged in Milan at the Museo del Novecento and at the Gallerie d’Italia in 2017. Among the works on exhibit here are also several examples from the series of motifs begun by Somaini after that ‘informal season’, such as the Bozzetti del monumento ai Marinai d’Italia of Milan and the Cadute dell’uomo and the Da Sotto series. These works are all linked to his reflections on the relationship between sculpture, architecture and the urban context, triggered by his contact with U.S. culture during his numerous trips to the States and developed through his collaborative experiences with architects, which led him to create monumental works for the cities of Atlanta, Baltimore and Rochester. This subject was addressed in depth by the exhibition held at La Triennale di Milano in 2017, entitled Francesco Somaini. Uno scultore per la città. New York 1967-76 and curated by Enrico Crispolti and myself.
Luisa Somaini
Archivio Francesco Somaini
