Sardinia Celebrates Maria Lai's Centenary with Exhibitions and New Museum Director

The Museo Stazione dell'Arte in Ulassai, Sardinia, has appointed Davide Mariani as its new director. Mariani has already renovated the museum's exhibition spaces and restored Maria Lai's facade intervention featuring the five S's (Sasso, Solco, Sole, Scure, Sale). Two exhibitions curated by Mariani are currently on view: "Maria Lai. Art in Public Space" at the former Convento del Carmelo in Sassari, and "Maria Lai. Sguardo Opera Pensiero" at the Stazione dell'Arte. The former explores Lai's public art through sections on macrocosm/microcosm and legare/collegare, featuring 150 works including the seminal 1981 piece "Legarsi alla montagna," considered the first example of relational art in Italy. The latter is conceived as an itinerary of 13 thematic stations, highlighting Lai's communicative strategies and including works like looms, geographies, and sewn fairy tales. For the centenary, upcoming events include an April exhibition on Lai's bread works, and in June, two linked shows: "Tenendo per mano il sole" at MAXXI Rome and "Tenendo per mano l'ombra" at Stazione dell'Arte. A first guide to the Museo a cielo aperto Maria Lai will be produced in collaboration with MAXXI. The Civici Musei of Cagliari will also dedicate a project to Lai. Artists will be invited for site-specific residencies and exhibitions. An educational program titled "L'arte ci prende per mano" will involve Sardinian schools starting in February.