Marino Marini's 'Arcane Fantasies' at Forte di Bard

The exhibition 'Arcane Fantasies' at Forte di Bard in Valle d'Aosta features 23 sculptures and 39 works on canvas and paper by Marino Marini (Pistoia, 1901 – Viareggio, 1980), running until November 3, 2024. Curated by Sergio Risaliti, the show is organized by 24 Ore Cultura and the Museo Marino Marini in Florence, which provided most of the loans. The display spans the artist's career, from the 1927 oil on board 'Little Dancer' to the 1958-1959 'Warrior,' lent by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, and the 1937 'Gentleman on Horseback.' Marini is best known for his horses and riders, which he used as metaphors for the human condition, evolving from defined forms to expressive, sculptural abstractions. The exhibition explores themes of the archaic, dream, and fantasy, highlighting Marini's attraction to figurative language even as he deconstructed form. His work draws vitality from Etruscan mystery, circus figures, and Pomone, seeking to recover a lost sacredness in art. The show is installed in the Cannoniere halls of the fortress.