Mimmo Paladino installs 18 horses in Piacenza's Piazza Cavalli

In 2020, artist Mimmo Paladino (born 1948 in Paduli) installed 18 dark horse sculptures in Piacenza's Piazza Cavalli, a public square named after two 17th-century equestrian monuments by Francesco Mochi. The new works, placed in front of Palazzo Gotico, are inspired by Etruscan funerary models and Homeric references. The installation, titled PaladinoPiacenza, was commissioned by the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano in collaboration with the Comune di Piacenza. Curated by Flavio Arensi, the temporary work will be dismantled after December 28, 2020. Paladino's horses are stylized and geometric, echoing the archetypal form he has long explored. The installation aims to draw attention to the older Mochi statues, which have become overlooked due to their permanent presence. The project evokes the ephemeral spectacles of the Farnese era, which often used temporary decorations for celebrations.