fendi exhibition arnaldo pomodoro rome

Fendi's Roman headquarters is hosting a massive new exhibition celebrating sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro's extensive body of work. Credit: Fendi

The Roman maison has steadily been building its relationship with the arts for well over a decade – take its annual support of the influential art fair Design Miami, which has been ongoing since 2008.

Its next art project however, looks to go even bigger. Titled Arnaldo Pomodoro. Il Grande Teatro delle Civilta (Arnaldo Pomodoro. The Great Theatre of Civilisations), the exhibition is executed in collaboration with Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, and takes over Fendi’s headquarters in Rome.

At its beating heart: the work of renowned Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. For the uninitiated, the 96-year-old artist is best known for his larger-than-life bronze sculptures that are often characterised by “tears”, cracks and other tactile aberrations.

fendi exhibition arnaldo pomodoro rome
Credit:Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro

Examples of the Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro’s highly tactile bronze works.

The exhibition seeks to explore the interconnection, in Pomodoro’s practice, of visual and scenic arts, and to highlight the relationship between the planning component of his work and its creation; Pomodoro’s works constantly references archaic notions and even imaginary civilisations, which may explain why his sculptures come across as simultaneously elemental yet futuristic.

fendi exhibition arnaldo pomodoro rome
Credit:Fendi

On display at the courtyard of Fendi’s Roman headquarters: Pomodoro’s commandingly anachronistic works.

Fans of the artist can look forward to 30 works (that span an impressive 70 years of his oeuvre) that will be displayed throughout Palazzo della Civilta Italiana (Fendi’s headquarters in Rome). Also on display: a series of archival materials (photographs, documents and sketches, many of them never exhibited before) that evoke the spirit of the artist’s extensive practice.

This collaboration between Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and Fendi, states the press release, is part of a broader partnership aimed at combining respect for historical heritage with the support and diffusion of contemporary artistic languages – here’s hoping it continues to birth such fruitful results.

Arnaldo Pomodoro. Il Grande Teatro delle Civilta was curated by Lorenzo Respi and Andrea Viliani in collaboration with Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and Fendi. The exhibition will be on from May 12 to October 1 (10am to 8pm daily) at Palazzo della Civilta Italiana. Admission is free.