FENDI ‘MATRICE’ CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBIT IN ROME
Introducing the Fendi Contemporary art exhibit—a solo show by Giuseppe Penone titled ...
January 30, 2017
Introducing the Fendi Contemporary art exhibit—a solo show by Giuseppe Penone titled “Matrice.” The inaugural installation will be on the first floor of Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, Rome—Fendi’s headquarters from January 26th until July 15th.
With this exhibition by Giuseppe Penone, Fendi renews its support and promotion of the highest expressions of contemporary culture, merging innovation and tradition, savoir-faire ,and creativity—values always dear to the Maison. After the majestic restoration of the Trevi Fountain, the complex of the Four Fountains, and the restoration and preservation of Gianicolo, Mosè, Ninfeo del Pincio, and Peschiera, Fendi continues and reinforces its bond with the city of Rome and its engagement in support of culture and art.
Giuseppe Penone is a key figure in the history of contemporary art. Since his first artworks related to the Arte Povera—“poor art”—avant-garde movement in the 1960s, Penone has established himself as one of the greatest masters in the international art scene. After numerous exhibitions in prestigious museums and a solo exhibition in Versailles in 2013—the first and only Italian artist to receive such a recognition—Penone’s artwork is esteemed as one of the most original contributions in the history of contemporary sculpture.
Penone’s sculptures combine a careful selection of materials such as wood, wax, leather, marble, and bronze, with a fascination for the transforming forces of nature. A cosmic awe pervades his works, where the intervention of the artist and the sculptural virtuosity reveal the richness and simplicity of nature, evoking links to ecology and conservation of the environment that today are more actual than ever.
“We are proud to collaborate with Giuseppe Penone for the first exhibition of contemporary art at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a symbol of our Roman roots that, as promised, we keep accessible to the Romans and to the tourists from all over the world. Penone is an Italian artist of international fame with whom we share the passion for creation, sublime savoir-faire, and continuous dialogue between tradition and innovation, core values of Fendi,” states Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of the brand.
Curated by Massimiliano Gioni, Artistic Director of the New Museum, New York, and Director of the Venice Biennale in 2013, this will be Giuseppe Penone’s first institutional exhibition in Rome: a unique occasion to admire a selection of historical artworks as well as others created specifically for the exhibition in the extraordinary spaces of Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
