Antonello Cuccu's 'Ontos' Exhibition at Museo Diocesano Arborense
Antonello Cuccu, an architect and designer hailing from Bosa and born in 1958, is showcasing 'Ontos' at the Museo Diocesano Arborense in Oristano. This exhibition features approximately one hundred works spanning from 1985 to 2020, with many pieces being previously unseen and collaborations with local artisans such as Terrapintada and Paolo Murreddu. Influenced by Sardinian artists Eugenio Tavolara and Melkiorre Melis, Cuccu's diverse practice includes architecture, painting, and applied arts, deeply rooted in Sardinian folk traditions. Notable pieces include the totem-altar 'Isthar' (2017) and 'Circuito di Volo (Volo e non volo)' (2019), often incorporating a donkey as a symbol of life and artistic exploration.
Key facts
- Antonello Cuccu, architect and designer born in Bosa, 1958, curated numerous exhibitions on 20th-century Sardinian art through Ilisso publishing house.
- Cuccu's exhibition 'Ontos' at Museo Diocesano Arborense in Oristano includes about 100 works from 1985 to 2020.
- Many works are previously unseen; others were created in collaboration with local artisans Terrapintada, Bottega Manis, Angelo Sciannella (ceramics), and Paolo Murreddu (woodworking).
- Cuccu draws inspiration from Eugenio Tavolara and Melkiorre Melis, both 20th-century Sardinian artists.
- In the 1980s, Cuccu unknowingly bought wooden puppets by Eugenio Tavolara, founder of I.S.O.L.A.
- Maria Lai directed Cuccu to the expressive power of the puppets, comparing them to nuragic bronzetti.
- Cuccu met ceramist Irene Kowaliska in the 1980s, gaining knowledge in ceramics.
- The totem-altar 'Isthar' (2017) is a polymateric piece with glazed ceramics, gold and silver third-fire, mirror, wood, and ready-made Sardinian fabric.
Entities
Artists
- Antonello Cuccu
- Eugenio Tavolara
- Maria Lai
- Irene Kowaliska
- Melkiorre Melis
- Alessio Onnis
Institutions
- Museo Diocesano Arborense
- Ilisso
- I.S.O.L.A. (Istituto Sardo Organizzazione Lavoro Artigiano)
- Terrapintada
- Bottega Manis
- Artribune
Locations
- Bosa
- Oristano
- Sassari
- Sardinia
- Italy
- San Gavino Monreale
- Guspini
- Roma