Massimo Arduini’s 52 Charcoal Poet Portraits Fill Gallery Wall in Rome

At Galleria Blocco 13 in Rome, an entire wall is covered by 52 portraits of 20th-century poets, all drawn in pencil and charcoal by Massimo Arduini. The site-specific installation, titled "Poeti sul Muro," was originally conceived as a live projection using graphic technology, but curators Rossana Russo and Carlo Alberto Bucci encouraged Arduini to return to hand drawing after many years. Over eighteen months, using only graphite, he executed the portraits with a swift yet confident line, emphasizing that drawing is a distinctly human trait. The installation is not a collection of individual works but a single piece whose meaning lies in the ensemble. Arduini, a self-described "Poetastro" and passionate poetry reader, selected poets who accompanied his personal growth, making the work a form of self-portrait. Each portrait, based on a found photograph, aims to convey the poet's character affectionately. The artist considers the work complete and not open-ended. The exhibition also includes "En plan Air" works in the courtyard, created with web graphics, and the artist's book "Ombra." The installation serves as an invitation to poetry and reading as bridges to others and tools for self-knowledge.