Boccioni 100: Comparative Analysis at Palazzo Reale

The exhibition 'Boccioni 100 – Genio e memoria' at Palazzo Reale in Milan marks the centenary of Umberto Boccioni's death. Curated by Francesca Rossi with Agostino Contò, the show avoids a traditional retrospective by focusing on comparative iconographic analysis, philology, and a chronological summary of the artist's evolution. It features three key elements: 'L'Atlante della memoria' (an album of reproductions of contemporary and past works), sixty drawings from the Gabinetto dei Disegni del Castello Sforzesco, and Boccioni's diaries. The exhibition directly compares Boccioni's works with those of other artists, such as Picasso, revealing clear inspirations. However, the theoretical framework is better suited to a catalog, and the installation is crowded, disorderly, and poorly lit. The show also explores transversal themes: the evolution of Boccioni's mother figure from sweet melancholy to a willful Futurist presence; the connection between Futurist language and Milan's urban landscape, presenting a humanist, social Futurism; and the succession of styles—Divisionism, Symbolism, Liberty, Déco, Futurism (more Cubist in Boccioni), and an anticipation of Return to Order in the final room with 'Sintesi plastica di figura seduta'. A biography by Gino Agnese, 'Umberto Boccioni. L’artista che sfidò il futuro', published by Johan & Levi, accompanies the exhibition. The show runs until July 10, 2016.