Maria Lai retrospective at MAXXI explores play and art

The MAXXI in Rome hosts a major retrospective on Maria Lai (1919-2013), focusing on her mature period from the 1960s onward. The exhibition is structured thematically rather than chronologically, with sections titled 'Essere è tessere', 'Giocare e Raccontare', 'Disseminare e Condividere', 'Immaginare l’Altrove', and 'Incontrare e partecipare'. Lai, born in Ulassai and died in Cardedu, studied in Cagliari under Salvatore Cambosu, in Rome under Marino Mazzacurati (1939-1943), and in Venice with Arturo Martini. After returning to Sardinia (1945-1954), she lived in Rome until 1993, where a crisis led her to rediscover her Sardinian roots through writer Giuseppe Dessì. During this period, the regional entity ESVAM (later ISOLA), directed by Maria Foschini, promoted Sardinian textile traditions, which influenced Lai's work. The show begins with her abandonment of figuration and experimentation with materials like looms, rope, straw, and bread, following Martini's teaching to work with empty volumes. A 1971 exhibition curated by Marcello Venturoli marked her definitive personal style, extending into theater, music, and environmental interventions. Lai participated in the Venice Biennale and various museums and galleries. The exhibition includes interviews, films, and images.