Fondazione Morra Opens Shozo Shimamoto Archive in Naples

The Fondazione Morra has acquired Palazzo Spinelli di Tarsia in Naples, establishing it as the new home for the Shozo Shimamoto Association and Archive. This acquisition expands the 'Quartiere dell'arte' project, which already includes the Museo Hermann Nitsch (opened 2008) and Casa Morra at Palazzo Ayerbo D'Aragona Cassano, where the 'Cento anni di mostre' program is ongoing. Starting December 15, the 18th-century palace will house a significant portion of Shimamoto's production and his General Archive, critically reorganized by Andrea Mardegan, the artist's representative in Japan. Shimamoto, a Gutai group member who died in 2013, is known for his chromatic cannonades—throwing paint-filled bottles at surfaces to achieve a spiritual materiality blending Eastern tradition with chance and conceptual automatism. The Fondazione Morra also plans a major restoration of Palazzo Cassano d'Ayerbo d'Aragona, signed with the Municipality of Naples, to add museum-standard facilities, double access, services, and spaces for residencies, labs, workshops, and exhibitions. Courtyard excavations and wall cleaning will respect previous paintings, while cistern and cellar work will take about seven years.