The exhibition Giorgio de Chirico. The contemporary enigma brings the programme of celebrations marking Mazzoleni’s forty years in business to a fitting close, showcasing an artist who has played a central role in the family’s collecting history and, subsequently, in the gallery’s activities. The masterpieces of the pictor optimus are presented here in dialogue with a selection of works by established and contemporary artists who, in different ways, have taken up his legacy, reinterpreting his most distinctive style and motifs over a period spanning from the 1930s to the present day. These free juxtapositions suggest the idea of a continuous metaphysics: a visual philosophy that spans de Chirico’s entire career and continues to resurface in the explorations of subsequent generations. The contemporary enigma evoked by the title refers to the inexhaustible capacity of de Chirico’s works to initiate dialogues with viewers and artists across eras, diverse poetics and contemporary forms. The exhibition was conceived in collaboration with the Artist’s Archives and the artists involved: Nunzio, Paolini and Senatore have created new works for the occasion; Francolino and Astore have curated the site-specific installation within the exhibition layout; do Espírito Santo has lent previously unseen works to complete the dialogue with the historical narrative.
