Fondazione Prada mounts major Pino Pascali retrospective in Milan

Fondazione Prada in Milan has opened a comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Pino Pascali (1935–1968), the Italian artist who died at 33 in a car crash. The exhibition, curated by Mark Godfrey, spans three areas of the Largo Isarco venue and features 49 works from Italian and international museums and private collections. It reconstructs Pascali's landmark shows at Galleria La Tartaruga in Genoa (1965), Galleria Sperone in Turin, Galleria L'Attico in Rome (1966 and 1968), and his posthumous presentation at the Venice Biennale, where he won the International Sculpture Prize. The show highlights Pascali's ironic juxtaposition of nature and consumerism, with iconic pieces like 'Bachi da setola' (nylon brushes), 'Un metro cubo di terra,' and '32 Metri quadri di mare.' A section in the Cisterna focuses on vintage photographs showing Pascali performing with his sculptures. The upper floor examines the conservation challenges of his materials—plastic, soil, water, hay, and asbestos (eternit)—and contextualizes them within 1960s Italian advertising. Another section revisits the 1968 Arte Povera group show curated by Germano Celant, featuring works by Alighiero Boetti and Piero Gilardi. The exhibition runs through spring 2024.