Mario Ceroli's Sculptural Giants at Cardi Gallery, Milan

Cardi Gallery in Milan presents a solo exhibition of Mario Ceroli (born 1938 in Castel Frentano, Chieti), a key figure of Italian Arte Povera, focusing on his production from the 1970s and 1980s. The centerpiece is a group of eight monumental pine wood giants, up to three meters tall, titled 'discorsi platonici sulla geometria' (Platonic discourses on geometry). These carved, raw-wood figures strain under the weight of massive geometric forms, evoking Atlas and Platonic philosophy. Surrounding them across two floors are rarely exhibited material paintings made from burnt wood, branches, straw, and ash, depicting desolate landscapes. On the upper floor, a single carved wood silhouette lies on the ground before a row of burnt trunks, filled with humble ash. Ceroli, also a set designer, describes his works as creaking and speaking. His practice synthesizes material experimentation with conceptual inquiry, influenced by artists like Paolini and Kounellis as well as Renaissance masters Leonardo da Vinci and Paolo Uccello. The exhibition engages all senses through the smell of straw, the creaking of wood, the friability of charcoal, and the shadows of angular volumes.