Massimo Bartolini's Largest Installation Transforms Centro Pecci into a Musical Instrument

Massimo Bartolini (born 1962 in Cecina) presents his most ambitious installation to date at the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato. Titled after his 1982 work "Hagoromo"—itself referencing a Nō theatre piece about a celestial spirit's feathered robe—the exhibition features a continuous wall of innocent tubes snaking through seven of ten rooms, functioning as organ pipes. Composer Gavin Bryars, a key figure in experimental music from the 1960s-70s, created a polyphonic score where each room has a distinct melody. The installation acts as a biographical and psychological journey, with sound and silence alternating periodically. Notable works include "Basement" (2011), a bronze cast of plowed earth from Impruneta, Florence; "Conveyance" (2003), a fountain-like sculpture with a conical wave; and "Untitled – And the Penny Drop" (1999-2022), a modified coin counter dropping 50-lire coins and pennies from the ceiling like an hourglass. The exhibition is circular, offering varied paths for viewers.