Duel and Campo Aperto Exhibitions at Museo Novecento Florence

The Museo Novecento in Florence presents two concurrent solo exhibitions by Gianni Caravaggio and Francesco Carone, curated respectively by Gaspare Luigi Marcone and Rubina Romanelli. Caravaggio's show is part of the Duel format, initiated by artistic director Sergio Risaliti, pairing contemporary artists with works from the civic collection. Caravaggio's installation includes Il mistero nascosto da una nuvola (2013-2018), a granite mass dusted with powdered sugar, and Giocami e giocami di nuovo (1996), an interactive dice game referencing Piero Manzoni's La base magica (1961). Carone's exhibition features Ciclope (2018), addressing the overcoming of material limits through a brass pole as a visual ray, and Tempesta, an earlier work exploring chaos and clarity within a marine narrative. The article by Niccolò Lucarelli criticizes the shows as cryptic and elitist, questioning their accessibility to the general public. In response, the author Stefania Margiacchi argues that the museum's choice is a courageous anti-populist stance, prioritizing artistic integrity over mass appeal. She suggests that museums can diversify audiences through collateral events like concerts and debates, shifting focus from popularization to education. The exhibitions are presented as a countertrend to market-driven, easily consumable art.