Franco Dellerba's Poetic Retrospective at Castello di Copertino

Franco Dellerba (born 1949 in Rutigliano) presents a solo exhibition at Castello di Copertino, curated by Lorenzo Madaro. The show spans painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, and terracotta, blending childhood memory, Puglian folk traditions, and utopian fantasy. Since the 1970s, Dellerba has incorporated lumiarie (festival lights) into his work, conceptually elevating regional folklore. His signature rocking horses—stripped of their rockers and rendered in white, luminous forms—chase each other in the castle's central hall, described by the curator as "architetture di luce." A video features the late gallerist Marilena Bonomo (d. 2017), who founded Bonomo gallery in Bari and discovered Dellerba, discussing his work with enthusiasm. The exhibition also includes carved wooden animals in vivid colors, emphasizing a ludic yet profound world. The article was written by Cecilia Pavone for Artribune.