Arnaldo Pomodoro

Published in collaboration with FENDI, Arnaldo Pomodoro. The Great Theatre of Civilizations is an immersive journey into the work of the greatest Italian sculptor of the second half of the 20th century. The book itself is conceived as a sculpture: made of luxurious materials and fitted within a perforated and die-cut slipcase, it recalls the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, the historic building which is both a symbol of the EUR district and the headquarters of the FENDI maison.

In this great "theatre", evanescent traces of possible "civilizations" emerge - archaic, ancient, modern or simply fictional - providing a rich archaeology that constantly redefines our knowledge, imagination, conception of time and space, history and myth, as well as our relationship with other species and nature. Produced in collaboration with Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro and published on the occasion of the Rome exhibition, this catalogue is enriched with considerable archive material that makes it a valuable reference source on the artist's work and an essential tool for scholars and collectors.

An autobiographical "theatre", both real and imaginative, with a selection of works produced by the artist from the late 1950s to 2021, as well as previously unpublished documentary material from Pomodoro's studio and archive. It explores the interconnection in Pomodoro's practice between visual and performing arts, highlighting the relationship between the project and its realization.

Lorenzo Respi is Director of Exhibitions and Collections at Fondazione Modena Arti Visive. Andrea Viliani is Director of the Museum of Civilizations in Rome. Both are members of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro.