After the exhibition last spring at the church of Santa Maria della Spina, the sculptor returns to Pisa Gianfranco Meggiato with a new solo show in the city, entitled ‘The breath of form’. From 22 October to 4 December, fourteen large-sized works will be exhibited in the historic center, including Piazza del Duomo and Piazza dei Cavalieri, as well as a space inside the Chiesa della Spina with eleven medium-sized works.
“After the first and important experience held in spring with the exhibition ‘God is Mother’ – comments the councilor for Culture Pierpaolo Magnani – as administration we are proud to host the great artist in this widespread exhibition of monumental sculptures that will animate the city of Pisa in a dialogue that combines contemporary and ancient art. The meeting with Gianfranco Meggiato and his art is one of those experiences that rarely happen. Whether you know the author first or his art first is indifferent, but once you enter relationship with both only then it is understood how the experience is unique. The artist is one with his work, it is a simple complexity, almost an oxymoron; the sculptures are an apotheosis of simple forms that merge into an extreme harmonic complexity to become simple again when you penetrate them. A metaphysical symbolism that breaks down into the essence of our spiritual but also material nature, the soul as element of physics, the embrace of science with spirituality and mysticism. And Gianfranco is like this: he talks about how many, about physics, but also about chakras and faith with a humble simplicity that can be summed up in a sentence he said to me one day about the inauguration of this great exhibition: ‘let’s let things flow’ ” .
The exhibition, curated by Riccardo Ferrucci and Alessandro Romanini, promoted by the Municipality of Pisa, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region, is organized by the cultural association CRA (Centro Collezione Arte), in collaboration with Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo. At the end of the exhibition a bilingual volume, Italian and English, will be presented, published for the types of Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori.
THE WORKS. The works will be “The Quantum Man” (Piazza dei Cavalieri); “Quantum Sphere” (church of Santa Maria della Spina); “The Mirror of the Absolute” (Piazza dei Miracoli); “Oltre” (church of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno); “Triade” (via S. Maria – Piazza Cavallotti); “Cubo con Cubo” (piazza San Matteo); “The Breath of Life” (Jesuit cloister, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Piazza Martiri della Libertà); “Anima Latina” (Corso Italia, from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele); “Doppio Totem” (Corso Italia, corner with via Toselli); “Taurus”, Lungarno Simonelli, museum of ships); “Sfera Sirio” and “My Free Thought” (piazza Terzanaia); “Sfera Antares” (church of San Michele in Borgo); “Disc tension” (piazza XX Settembre).
The exhibition, curated by Riccardo Ferrucci and Alessandro Romanini, promoted by the Municipality of Pisa, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region, is organized by the cultural association CRA (Centro Collezione Arte), in collaboration with Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo. At the end of the exhibition a bilingual volume, Italian and English, will be presented, published for the types of Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori.
THE ARTIST. Gianfranco Meggiato was born in Venice in 1963, he attended the State Institute of Art where he studied sculpture in stone, bronze, wood and ceramics. International artist, since 1998 he has participated in numerous fairs and personal and group exhibitions in Italy and abroad, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Principality of Monaco, Ukraine, Russia, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, South Korea, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Australia. In 2011 and 2013 he was invited to the Venice Biennale in the national pavilions. Since 2017 he has dealt with scientific and social issues with the exhibition of large installations in public places: “The Garden of the Silent Muses” (Catanzaro 2017); “The Spiral of Life” (Palermo 2018); “Il Giardino di Zyz” (Matera European Capital of Culture 2019); “Quantum Man, there is no future without memory” (Valley of the Temples in Agrigento 2021); “The Spiral of Life” (Prato, Pecci Museum 2022). He was awarded the Icomos-Unesco prize “for having masterfully combined the ancient and the contemporary in sculptural installations of great evocative power and aesthetic value”. He lives and works in Gran Canaria.
COORDINATES SHOW
Title: Gianfranco Meggiato. The breath of form
Curated by: Riccardo Ferrucci and Alessandro Romanini
Location: Historic center and church of Santa Maria della Spina
Historic center period: 22 October – 4 December 2022
Spina Church period: 22 October – 20 November 2022