Marino Marini Retrospective Opens in Pistoia Before Traveling to Venice

A major retrospective of Marino Marini (1901–1980), one of the most eclectic Italian sculptors of the 20th century, will open on September 16, 2017, at Palazzo Fabroni in Pistoia. Titled "Marino Marini. Passioni visive," the exhibition is promoted by the Fondazione Marino Marini and the Fondazione Salomon R. Guggenheim di Venezia. After its run in Pistoia, it will travel to the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, marking one of the first initiatives under the new director Karole P.B. Vail. The show traces Marini's artistic production from the 1920s to the 1960s, linking his work to masters like Arturo Martini and Giacomo Manzù, as well as to ancient Egyptian, Greek-archaic, Etruscan, medieval, Renaissance, and 19th-century sculpture. The core of the exhibition consists of the "Cavalieri" (Horsemen) series, begun in the 1930s, known for their archaic impassivity and subtle irony toward contemporary society. Peggy Guggenheim was a great admirer of Marini, and his work features prominently in her collection, including "L'angelo della città" (1948), which she placed outside the museum facade overlooking the lagoon. The exhibition is curated by Barbara Cinelli and Flavio Fergonzi and runs through January 7, 2018.