Aldo Mondino's 'Viaggi Straordinari' Retrospective at Villa Bertelli

Villa Bertelli in Forte dei Marmi, which has evolved into a cultural hub in recent years, is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to Aldo Mondino (Turin, 1938–2005) titled 'Viaggi Straordinari' until September 26, 2020. The exhibition features over forty works from a Tuscan private collection, including sculptures, paintings, and works on paper. Curator Valerio Dehò describes Mondino's practice as creating a unique cultural koinè, where contemporary art serves as both a concentration of the symbolic and an archive of different cultures. Mondino's insatiable curiosity led him to explore distant realities and artistic languages, from abstract art with irony in the 1960s to influences from Jim Dine, Central European xylography, Alberto Giacometti, and Umberto Boccioni, as well as puzzles, kings, and road signs. His 'playful' attitude fostered new comparisons, making 'Mondinian' the parts of the universe he encountered. The exhibition highlights his travels to Africa and India, and literary inspirations from Paul Bowles and Blaise Cendrars. A dedicated room explores music's role in his life, which Dehò notes reflects Mondino's search for essentiality and secret harmony. The show is presented by Artribune, which also offers newsletters and other publications.