Marisa Volpi retrospective at MLAC Rome

Until May 13, the MLAC museum in Rome is honoring Marisa Volpi (1928–2015), a notable art historian, critic, and writer. This exhibition reconstructs her studio, showcasing iconic design items such as Saarinen's Tulip table, Castiglioni's Arco lamp, and Breuer's Cesca chairs. It also displays rare documents from her archive, generously donated by her nieces, Caterina and Paola Volpi. A significant piece is Giulio Paolini’s artwork representing her Via Panama studio, a tribute to her early faith in his abilities. Volpi, who studied under Roberto Longhi in Florence, wrote her thesis on Corrado Giaquinto and co-authored her first article on Ben Shahn with Carla Lonzi in Paragone Arte. She actively critiqued art, collaborating with galleries like La Salita and La Tartaruga, and interacted with prominent figures such as Cesare Brandi and Giulio Carlo Argan, as well as artists including Piero Dorazio and Giosetta Fioroni. Her influential book 'Arte dopo il 1945. U.S.A.' (1969) was groundbreaking in Italian American art studies, and she received the Premio Viareggio for her novel 'Il maestro della betulla' (1986). The exhibition features readings by Lorenza Trucchi, Maria Teresa Benedetti, and Francesca Benedetti, alongside wedding photographs of Volpi and Ferdinando Orlandini captured by Mario Schifano.