Etruscomania Comes to Milan: Second Chapter of the Etruscan Project at Fondazione Rovati

The second stage of the Etruscan-themed exhibition project, initiated at MART in Rovereto, opens at Fondazione Luigi Rovati in Milan. Titled "Etruschi del Novecento," the show explores the deep influence of Etruscan antiquity on 20th-century modern art. Highlights include juxtapositions of ancient bucchero ceramics with works by Gio Ponti, reinterpretations of canopic vases by Fausto Melotti, and depictions by Massimo Campigli. The exhibition also features cistae (cylindrical containers) recreated by Ponti, along with askoi, kantharoi, and oinochoai. Another section focuses on funerary urns, including modern interpretations by Francesco Messina and Arturo Martini's "Odalisca." Small votive bronzes inspired Marino Marini's series of jugglers and horsemen. Mythological creatures like the chimera appear in works by Mirko Basaldella ("Leone urlante") and Martini ("Leone di Monterosso"). On the noble floor, a documentary archive displays rare volumes, notebooks, and posters—including one from the 19th Venice Biennale—alongside covers by Alighiero Boetti and Polaroids by Paolo Gioli. The project revives the early 20th-century "Etruscomania" trend that captivated artists such as Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Giacometti.