Umberto Mariani’s 'Oggetti Allarmanti' at BKV Fine Art in Milan

BKV Fine Art has opened a new exhibition space inside Casa Koelliker in Milan, inaugurated with a solo show by Umberto Mariani (born 1936, Milan). The show presents Mariani's 'Oggetti Allarmanti' (Alarming Objects), a series of works dating from 1968 to 1975 that blend furniture, accessories, animal and human forms into hybrid, centaur-like creatures. The pieces reflect the protest spirit of the late '60s and early '70s, with black leather boots and gloves evoking clenched fists. The exhibition also features vintage designer chairs by Eero Saarinen (Tulip chair) and Joe Colombo (Lounge Chair for Kartell), placed alongside the paintings to create visual connections. The show is curated as a Wunderkammer-style journey combining paintings, sculptures, and objects, with a thread of seductive yet unsettling forms. Historical pairings include a De Chirico nude with a 17th-century Adam and Eve by Azzolino, and works by Schifano, Ligozzi, and Adami next to an ancient Roman bust.