Omar Galliani's Timeless Drawings at MARCA Catanzaro

The MARCA museum in Catanzaro presents a comprehensive retrospective of Italian artist Omar Galliani, tracing his career from the 1970s to the present. Curated by Vera Agosti, the exhibition spans a single floor and opens with 'Mantra per un vulcano' (1999), a large-scale work combining delicate pencil strokes with gold-leaf mantra inscriptions. Opposite hangs the triptych 'Baci rubati/Covid19' (2020), previously shown at Galleria Tornabuoni in Florence, depicting intimate kisses as a longing for normalcy during pandemic lockdowns. The show includes 'NGC/7419' (2021), created after the death of Galliani's son Massimiliano, inspired by a recurring number that led the artist to discover the NGC 7419 star cluster in Cepheus. Also featured is 'Roma, Omar, Amor' (2012), whose anagrammatic title reveals Galliani's deep connection to Rome, and 'Dalla bocca e dal collo del foglio' (1977), a key early work for understanding his stylistic evolution. Throughout, Galliani's unwavering pencil line serves as both expressive outlet and temporal compass. The exhibition highlights Galliani's participation in major biennials: São Paulo (1981), Tokyo (1982), and Venice (1982, 1984, 1986).