Pino Pascali: From Image to Shape

On occasion of the 58th Venice Biennale curated by Ralph Rugoff, the Pino Pascali Foundation presents Pino Pascali - Dall'Immagine alla Forma (Pino Pascali - From Image to Shape). Pino Pascali was amongst the most important representatives of Pop Art and Arte Povera in Italy. 50 years after the artist's death, this exhibition presents an original and unusual interpretation of the artist's production, by placing side by side his photographic research to his sculptures and videos. The exhibition, curated by Antonio Frugis and Roberto Lacarbonara with the artistic direction of Rosalba Branà, is part of a program of Collateral Events of the Biennale 2019, takes place at Palazzo Cavanis located at Fondamenta delle Zattere. The event will run until the November 24, 2019.

Following the recent discovery of a precious collection of over 160 photographs—taken and printed between 1964 and 1965—and thanks to the acquisition by the Pino Pascali Foundation of the Photo and Video Archives, the exhibition reveals how important an artist's planning and formal research can be in creating their work, especially through the use of sketches and photographic notes.

Pino Pascali (1935-1968) saw photography not only as a mean to document, interpret and analyze reality, but also, and in particular, as a way to give shape to an individual tale that will smoothly be introduced in his linguistic research.

In the 1960s, photography quite clearly became one of the languages used to express art and acquired importance as a relevant theoretical tool in the planning of artworks. It became increasingly common for artists to use photography not only to document their work but also to trace the planning of their work, just as they had previously been using drawings and sketches. 

The exhibition compares the graphical notes on the artist’s personal pad with the photographs taken in 1965 and with some of his most relevant site-specific sculptures of which, Attrezzi Agricoli (1968), Contropelo (1968), La ricostruzione della Balena (1966), 9 mq di pozzanghere (1967) and Botole ovvero lavori in corso (1968). This last work returns to be exhibited and restored with the contribution of the Pino Pascali Foundation. This comparison allows to trace the different intuition and project phases the artwork goes through when it is created. This is developed across some important thematic sections that cover the following topics: “Water Things"; "The Harbour, boats and sea"; Geometries and Modules"; "Fake Sculptures"; "Return to land"; “Childhood games”; "Theatre and Masks".

The exhibition also offers a new interpretation of the "Pascali Method", which shows how his artistic production was very closely connected to the work he performed for RAI.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue with texts by the curators Antonio Frugis and Roberto Lacarbonara, and by Rosalba Branà, Valérie Da Costa, Francesco Stocchi and Marco Tonelli. 

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With the support of the following
Institutional Partners
Region Puglia, Municipality of Polignano a Mare

Main Partner
Puglia Promozione, Apulia Film Commission, Teatro Pubblico Pugliese

Cultural Partner
Città Metropolitana di Bari, Polo Museale della Puglia, La Galleria Nazionale, Roma

Sponsor
Art-Events, Bevande Futuriste, Cantine Barsento, Caradonna Art Movers, Carrieri Design, Kandea, Olio Pomes, Serenissima Ristorazione SPA, Stampa Sud