On 6 June, the world’s first Igor Mitoraj Museum will open in Pietrasanta, Tuscany. The museum, dedicated to the Polish sculptor, is being established in the town where the artist lived and worked for several decades, creating many of his most famous works.
The Igor Mitoraj Museum in the city of artists and marble
Pietrasanta has long been regarded as one of Europe’s most important centres for contemporary art. The small town owes its reputation primarily to its proximity to the famous quarries of Carrara, from which marble has been extracted for centuries for use by sculptors and architects. The development of local stonemasonry workshops, bronze foundries and specialist studios meant that, from the second half of the 20th century, artists from various parts of the world began to settle here. Pietrasanta even earned the nickname ‘Little Athens’. Today, the historic town centre resembles an open-air gallery. Contemporary installations and large-scale sculptures are displayed in the squares and streets. Artists associated with Pietrasanta include Fernando Botero, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Krzysztof Bednarski and Igor Mitoraj, who became one of the most recognisable figures in the local art scene. In 2001, he was even awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the town.
Mitoraj and his fascination with antiquity
Igor Mitoraj settled in Pietrasanta in the early 1980s. In Tuscany, he set up his own studio and began working closely with local craftsmen specialising in marble working and bronze casting. It was there that a significant portion of his most famous works were created, recognisable by their fragmentary torsos, cracks and heads inspired by antiquity. The artist initially focused on painting. It was only a trip to Mexico that turned his attention to sculpture. Over time, he developed his own artistic language based on the aesthetics of ancient ruins and archaeological finds. His works appeared in public spaces across many cities around the world, from Paris to Tokyo. Following Mitoraj’s death in 2014, the idea of creating a space dedicated to his work in Pietrasanta – a town to which he had given his heart and where he was laid to rest – was increasingly discussed.
The Igor Mitoraj Museum in the former market hall
After a decade, it has finally come to fruition. The museum is being established in the building of the former municipal market on Via Oberdan. The modernist building was erected in the 1960s as a trading hall, but over time it turned into a supermarket and lost its appeal. The city authorities therefore decided to adapt it for use as a cultural institution. The design was developed by the Milan-based studio OBR Open Building Research. The architects have retained some of the hall’s industrial aesthetic, creating an exhibition space within it that is open to the city. The new institution is intended to serve as a meeting place for residents, tourists and the artistic community. According to the designers’ vision, the project is not limited to a traditional gallery but is intended to play an active role in the public life of Pietrasanta.
The sculpture collection and its significance for Poland
The museum will house a permanent collection of works by Igor Mitoraj as well as works by other artists. The exhibition will bring together sculptures, models, sketches and archival materials documenting the Polish artist’s work. The core of the collection will consist of several dozen works donated to the Italian state by the sculptor’s heirs. Among them are works considered to be icons of his oeuvre. The museum is also set to organise temporary exhibitions, educational events and meetings dedicated to contemporary sculpture and local artistic craftsmanship. For Pietrasanta, the project represents a further consolidation of its position as a major centre for contemporary art in Europe. For Poland, the museum will be a unique venue for promoting the work of one of the most highly regarded Polish sculptors of the 20th century on the international stage.
Design: OBR Open Building Research
Source: museomitoraj.it
Read also: Italy|Art|Museum|Recommended|whiteMAD on Instagram
Modernist market hall building – renovation
Igor Mitoraj’s works scattered across the globe
Pietrasanta, a town full of art
