Presentation of the monograph “Materie viventi”
The Pinacoteca di Brera hosted, in the Sala Aldo Bassetti, the presentation of the monograph “Maria Cristina Carlini. Materie viventi” edited by Marco Eugenio Di Giandomenico and published by Silvana Editoriale. The event brought together representatives from the worlds of art and institutions, fostering a discussion on the artist’s career and on the themes of matter, nature and sustainability that run throughout her artistic research.
The event featured lively contributions from the cultural sector. The presentation was opened by Domenico Piraina, Director of Culture and of Palazzo Reale in Milan, who expressed his appreciation for the sculptor’s strong commitment to environmental issues and sustainability, values shared by Palazzo Reale and the Municipality of Milan and reflected in her works since the beginning of her career. Angelo Crespi, Director of Grande Brera, expressed his appreciation for the artist, whose work has always embraced ideals centred on the care and respect for nature, themes that are more relevant than ever today. Chiara Rostagno, Deputy Director of the Pinacoteca di Brera, highlighted the importance of the monograph, which traces Carlini’s poetics, clearly reflected in the materials she uses as a space and vehicle for creativity. She also focused on the partnership between Brera and the Municipality of Milan in supporting initiatives that promote the arts. Alessandro Coscia, Exhibition and Events Coordinator at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, emphasised the importance of the sculptor’s message, whose works have a sustainable impact not only from an environmental perspective, but also on a social and cultural level. The programme concluded with contributions from Marco Eugenio Di Giandomenico, curator and author of the monograph, who presented the contents of the volume and examined the key aspects of the artist’s creative leitmotif; Maria Cristina Carlini, the artist; and other prominent representatives from the cultural and institutional spheres.
The event was promoted by Associazione Ethicando and the Fondazione Maria Cristina Carlini ETS, in collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera, and marked the conclusion of a project that brought together contemporary art, research, institutions and sustainability through a fruitful collaboration between the Municipality of Milan, Palazzo Reale, Associazione Ethicando and Fondazione Maria Cristina Carlini ETS.
The book offers a comprehensive, original and innovative portrait of Maria Cristina Carlini and her artistic research, while also exploring the exhibition “Maria Cristina Carlini. Materie viventi”, which featured the two monumental sculptures “Bosco” and “Philemon and Baucis”, installed respectively in the Courtyard of Honour and the Garden of Palazzo Reale.
To accompany the presentation, several works by the artist were displayed in the room: “Pietà” (2010, stoneware, 70 × 60 × 40 cm), “Eva” (2018, steel and wood, 220 × 123 × 70 cm), and the preparatory model for “Eurydice e Orfeo”.
