Mauro Staccioli's monumental 'Portale' installed in Soliera

The town of Soliera is building a cultural identity around contemporary sculpture through a series of national-interest exhibitions. The latest focuses on Mauro Staccioli (Volterra, 1937 – Milan, 2018), featuring a monumental 'Portale' installed in the town center on a three-year free loan and an indoor show at Castello Campori organized with his archive. The exhibition recreates his studio, with sculptures placed directly on the floor, using concrete and iron to engage the space. It traces his evolution from complex essential forms in the 1970s–80s (tubes, prison wall fragments) to traversable geometric shapes and large environmental installations in the 2000s. Staccioli was also a political activist critical of Milan's urban sprawl. He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1976 and 1978, where he erected a wall blocking the view of the Italian Pavilion, prompting viewer interaction. His work emphasizes spatial measurement and social collective dimensions. He became a master of international environmental sculpture, with works still visible as territorial markers.