Aldo Mondino retrospective across two Florence galleries

Galleries Il Ponte and Santo Ficara in Florence have jointly organized a homage to Aldo Mondino (Turin, 1938–2005), featuring over forty works from 1963 to 2004. The exhibition traces key phases of his eclectic career, which defies easy labels—described in a 2016 retrospective at Villa Croce in Genoa as “modern, postmodern, contemporary.” Il Ponte focuses on the 1960s and 1970s, reconstructing his solo shows at Galleria di Gian Enzo Sperone in Turin and Galleria La Salita in Rome (1964). A highlight is the Quadrettature series: two-part works on masonite or canvas that evoke children’s coloring books, with the upper half left blank for viewer participation, accompanied by a box of pastels or crayons. Santo Ficara, which has represented Mondino since the 1990s, inaugurates its new space with works from the gallery’s historical archive, showcasing his production’s diversity: from the mosaic carpet Calpestare le uova (2003) featuring Casorati’s Madonna and eggs, to Pittore d’insegne (2001), Tauromachia (2003), and Eldorado, a New York skyline made of chocolate mosaic. From 1985 Mondino began travel-related cycles, and from 1990 he focused on Oriental themes, including Danza Sufi (2004) depicting whirling dervishes and four Iznik series works on glass inspired by traditional Turkish ceramic motifs. The exhibition runs in collaboration with the Archivio Aldo Mondino.