Franco Menicagli's 'Cemento' at Spazio Moo in Prato

Franco Menicagli (Campiglia Marittima, 1968) presents 'Cemento', an installation at Spazio Moo in Prato, curated by Špela Zidar, running until December 12, 2016. The work critiques excessive urbanization and soil consumption through a conceptual aesthetic built on opposing aspects. The title references both the suffocating urban dimension of countless buildings, suggested by assembled pillars resembling a modern suburban agglomeration, and the city as a place of encounter and social amalgam, evoking the original meaning of polis. The pillars, seemingly robust like concrete, are actually made of plaster and polyurethane foam, covered with recycled colorful tiles, subtly conveying decay and rot inherent in crowded, disorderly cities, with the pillar-skyscrapers alluding to the Tower of Babel myth. The colorful tiles add a touch of original domestic intimacy, blending artistic and architectural dimensions. Menicagli advocates for sustainable construction where individuals can rediscover their roots as social animals.