Alberto Maggini's ULTRA FLAT Transforms Fondazione Pastificio Cerere into a Beauty Temple
Alberto Maggini's exhibition titled 'ULTRA FLAT' is currently on display at Fondazione Pastificio Cerere in Rome, running until July 10, 2026. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture through the Italian Council 2023 initiative, the exhibition opens with the artist's book 'Adore,' which deconstructs a fashion magazine. Maggini draws connections between Mycenaean death masks and beauty products discarded from the Eleonas market. Designed to resemble a beauty center, the exhibition consists of four rooms dedicated to aesthetic treatments. Curated by Gianlorenzo Chiaraluce, it includes references to Salvatore Settis's essay 'Futuro del classico.' Highlights feature an oracular figure, an exploration of hair complexity, and the 55-minute video 'Avocado Mask,' alongside installations like 'Amuleti e Talismani' (2026), critiquing cultural beauty standards.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'ULTRA FLAT' by Alberto Maggini at Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Rome, until July 10, 2026
- Project supported by Italian Council 2023 program of the Italian Ministry of Culture
- Originated from artist's book 'Adore' that deconstructs a fashion magazine
- Draws parallels between Mycenaean death masks and discarded beauty products from Eleonas market, Athens
- Exhibition simulates a beauty center with four treatment rooms
- Curated by Gianlorenzo Chiaraluce, who wrote the critical text
- References Salvatore Settis's essay 'Futuro del classico'
- First room features a Mouth of Truth transformed into a nail dryer
- Includes works: 'Amuleti e Talismani' (2026), 'Avocado Mask' video (55 min), 'La serietà è una qualità molto ricercata nell’arte (Mr. Ananas)' (2025)
- Addresses beauty as a cultural construct and critiques heteronormative standards
Entities
Artists
- Alberto Maggini
- Gianlorenzo Chiaraluce
- Salvatore Settis
- Johann Joachim Winckelmann
Institutions
- Fondazione Pastificio Cerere
- Italian Council
- Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture
- National Archaeological Museum of Athens
- Direzione Generale per la Creatività Contemporanea del Ministero della Cultura Italiano
- Adore
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Athens
- Greece
- Eleonas
- Via degli Ausoni 7, Rome
Sources
- Rivista Segno —
- segnonline —
- Artslife —