Weekly Art Book Roundup: From Francesco Somaini's Sculpture Catalogue to Hidden Museum Treasures

A weekly roundup of new art and culture publications features a lavish catalogue raisonné of Francesco Somaini's sculpture, a journey through Italian museum deposits, a symbol guide by Matthew Wilson, Bruno Latour's design politics essays, a photographic history of the Italian Communist Party, and a children's maze book on modern art. The Francesco Somaini catalogue raisonné, edited by Enrico Crispolti and Luisa Somaini, includes over 2,500 works and coincides with the opening of the Fondazione Francesco Somaini in Milan, which hosts a show on the artist's ties to America curated by Francesco Tedeschi. A major retrospective is planned for 2022 at Palazzo Reale. Filippo Cosmelli and Daniela Bianco's 'Il tesoro invisibile' explores hidden museum collections across Italy, from the Vatican Apostolic Archive to Palazzo Chiericati in Vicenza. Matthew Wilson's 'I simboli dell'arte' analyzes symbols across centuries and continents, featuring works from the Aztec Sun Stone to Bill Viola's video installation. Bruno Latour's 'Politiche del design' collects ten essays from 1984 to 2008, examining design, semiotics, and sociality. Marco Delogu and Francesco Giasi's 'In movimento e in posa' presents 200 photographs tracing the Italian Communist Party from 1921 to 1991, including works by Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa. Luisa Vera's 'Perso nel museo' offers seven mazes introducing children to modern art movements, highlighting female artists like Mary Cassatt and Sonia Delaunay.