Creature, Creatori. St Francis and contemporary art

Curated by Beatrice Buscaroli and organised by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture and Fondazione MAXXI - Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, the exhibition at the Extra MAXXI forms part of the initiatives marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi.

St Francis’s vision of the world and the ethical values of his thought, expressed in the “Canticle of the Creatures”, is the the starting point for reinterpreting Italian art from the post-war period to the present day. Works from the museum’s collection engage in dialogue with historical and contemporary pieces: an ideal bridge between historical memory and contemporary sensibilities, with a presence capable of guiding the gaze and suggesting new possibilities for the relationship between humanity, nature and the sacred.

Works by Pier Paolo Calzolari, Stefano Arienti and Bruna Esposito define a symbolic landscape traversed by natural signs and fragile presences, while those by Alberto Burri, Mario Giacomelli, Giorgio Morandi and Ennio Morlotti reflect on matter, time and the essential dimension of existence. The exhibition continues with the visions of Mario Schifano, Maria Lai, Antonio Del Donno and Paolo Canevari, leading up to the works of artists from latest generations.

The exhibition is further enriched by previously unseen works, presented here for the first time and commissioned specifically for the exhibition (by Jacopo Benassi, Chiara Calore, Aron Demetz, Fulvio Di Piazza, Marco Cingolani, Andrea Mastrovito, Alessandro Pessoli and Nicola Samorì), which interpret the Franciscan gaze by bringing together symbols, figures and nature.