MILAN — Fendi is shining the sunshine on certainly one of Italy’s most revered contemporary sculptors, internationally known for his geometric bronze works.

The posh goods brand will inaugurate on Friday the exhibition “Arnaldo Pomodoro. Il Grande Teatro delle Civiltà [Arnaldo Pomodoro. The Great Theater of Civilizations].”

Running until Oct. 1, the exhibit, curated by Lorenzo Respi and Andrea Viliani in collaboration with Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, will likely be staged at Fendi’s Rome headquarters, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. Additionally it is step one in a multiyear partnership with the inspiration.

Conceived for each the indoor and outdoor spaces of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, the exhibition spans greater than 70 years of the artist’s profession, displaying around 30 artworks by Pomodoro created between the late Fifties and 2021. There will even be series of archival materials, from photographs and documents to sketches and drawings, many shown publicly for the primary time.

“We began talking in his atelier on the Navigli [Milan’s interconnected canals] and we thought it might be more ambitious and more beautiful to display his works at our headquarters in Rome, a city where there are several of his art pieces,” said Serge Brunschwig, chairman and chief executive officer of Fendi.

Examples in Rome include the “Sfera Grande [Big Sphere]” placed in front of the Farnesina ministry of foreign affairs, the “Novecento” obelisk, and the bronze sculpture on the Vatican’s Courtyard of the Pinecone.

The partnership is supposed to rejoice art “as an instrument combining respect for heritage, attention to widespread knowledge of artistic languages and search for brand spanking new types of collaboration from the angle of sustainability and innovation,” Brunschwig said.

The manager noted that additionally it is “the natural evolution” of the connection that was established between Fendi and the inspiration in 2013, when the previous established its Milan headquarters within the space on Via Solari formerly occupied by the inspiration.

That constructing displays the environmental artwork “Entrance to the Labyrinth,” amongst others, which Fendi has helped preserve and made available to the general public over the past decade.

Pomodoro, now aged 96, reinterpreted Fendi’s signature Peekaboo bag, first created by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 2008. This is an element of the worldwide Canvas Peekaboo project that, ranging from 2014, has involved artists and designers, from Sarah Coleman to Lukas Gschwandtner and Kueng Caputo.

Asked what personally attracted him to Pomodoro’s art, Brunschwig said that “works where you’ll be able to glimpse at what’s inside, losing yourself in those fractures, could be very intriguing. They’re super interesting and mysterious, perfect on the skin but you’ll be able to see inside them — just like the Peekaboo,” he said with a chuckle.

Actually, Pomodoro reinterpreting the Peekaboo “taking the time to work on the bag, honors us,” he emphasized. 

Brunschwig highlighted how the sheer size of Fendi’s headquarters exalts the “monumental” works of Pomodoro, “who has shaped the art world for a long time and we’re so lucky to find a way to still be working with him. We’re very happy with this.”

The manager observed that the goal of the Palazzo della Civiltà was from Day One “to be open to town,” and that it has staged exhibitions through the years on Giuseppe Penone, for instance, or arrange the “Fendi Studios” exhibit paying tribute to the flicks and the connection with the brand.

As a part of the exhibition, 4 sculptures will likely be placed at each of the external corners of the striking Modernist and Rationalist constructing, dubbed the Square Colosseum: They’re the “Forme del mito [Shapes of the myth]” dating back to 1983, which incorporates “Il potere [The power or Agamennon]”; “L’ambizione [The ambition, or Clitennestra]”; “La macchina [The machine, or Egisto],” and “La profezia [The prophecy or Cassandra],” taken from the scenic machines that were created for the series of theatrical performances inspired by Aeschylus’ “Orestes” by the artist Emilio Isgrò.

In the doorway hall, there are two works created by the artist for 2 theatrical shows, produced with sculptural materials paired with raffia and fabric.

Other examples include “Le battaglie [The battles]” from 1995, in black, and “Movimento in piena aria e nel profondo [Movement in full air and in depth]” from 1996-1997, in white, which reflect Pomodoro’s use of materials comparable to tangles of rope, wedges and bolts.

The latter consists of a double curve referring to the massive celestial and terrestrial spaces.

“The Tracce [The traces]” series from 1998 consists of 21 white, black and rust-colored reliefs in chalk.

The itinerary concludes on the third-floor arcade with “Osso di sepia [cuttlefish bone],” a symbolic matrix of all of the artist’s works, who actually began his sculptural experimentation by carving into cuttlefish bone.

The exhibition is accompanied by a monographic catalogue published by Skira which will likely be available in Fendi boutiques and on the exhibition space.

Fendi is offering free entry to visitors.