Aldo Mondino

Impertinences at the Palace

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THE EXHIBITION

An exhibition at Palazzo Boncompagni celebrates the work of Aldo Mondino, an eclectic and ironic contemporary artist.
Curated by Silvia Evangelisti

After the success of the Michelangelo Pistoletto exhibition “From the Renaissance to the Rebirth” and Marino Marini’s “Horses and Knights at the Palazzo”, the Palazzo Boncompagni Foundation is organizing a new exhibition, in conjunction with ArteFiera 2023, still dedicated to a master of the twentieth century, the Turinese Aldo Mondino (Turin 1938-2005).

Fifteen works by the master are on display ranging from painting to sculpture in dialogue with a historic Bolognese building.

Curated by Silvia Evangelisti, the exhibition, created thanks to the support of Emil Banca, presents around fifteen large-scale works of particular significance in the artist’s poetics, chosen on the basis of their relationship with the extraordinary venue of the exhibition and as evidence of the great inventiveness and quality of the works, as well as to highlight Mondino’s ability to choose the materials of his works in an ingenious and heterogeneous way. From traditional ones such as paint or bronze (significant in the exhibition “Viola d’amore” of 1985 and “Gerusalemme” of 1988), to more extravagant ones, such as “Scultura un corno” from 1980, a horn-shaped column made up of three chocolate elephants, up to “The Byzantine Word” from 1999, a 190×240cm panel made with countless chocolates in multicolored wrappers like “anomalous” pieces of a large mosaic.

In the main hall of Palazzo Boncompagni, the “Sala delle Udienze Papali”, visitors will be able to admire, hanging from the rods of the ceiling, “Jugen Stilo”, a chandelier made with Bic ballpoint pens for Mondino’s personal exhibition at the 1993 Venice Biennale, while inside the large fireplace, the “Trophy of 1996” will be placed; two female legs apart in bronze and glass. At the center of the same room, which becomes the symbolic center of the exhibition, is the extraordinary “Mekka Mokka” from 1988, a large carpet of coffee beans of different colors (at different roasting stages) offered by EssseCaffè. The exhibition is concluded by a series of works exhibited in the Loggia and in the two internal rooms of Palazzo Boncompagni.

Given the choice, I would have liked to be a bullfighter, which for me is the metaphor of the artist, the man who knows how to dominate fear through gestures of great beauty.

Useful Info

RATES

From 6th February to 10th April: €10.00 (full rate); €7.00 (Bologna Culture Card) – Reservations required

TIMETABLES

• Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri (closed Tue): 10am-1pm, 3.30pm-6.30pm;
• Sat: 4pm-7pm;
• Sun: 10am-1pm.

Closed: every Tuesday, April 9th