From 2011 to 2013, I curated a series of solo exhibitions at the Museo del Novecento in Milano. These were the first exhibitions of contemporary art to be hosted in the newly opened museum dedicated to the Italian art of the 20th century, whose collection of over four thousand works includes modern masters such as Balla, Boccioni, Depero, De Chirico, Morandi, Melotti, Fontana, Manzoni, Burri, Castellani, Accardi, and some Arte Povera artworks by Zorio, Paolini, and Boetti, among others. Four mid-career Italian artists were invited to create an exhibition specifically designed for the museum: Andrea Mastrovito, Marta Dell’Angelo, Ozmo, and Fabio Viale.
For the first show, Andrea Mastrovito decided to use the museum as his studio. Every day, for five days, he would paint, on both sides, 32 sheets of paper depicting a major Italian historical event starting from the Five Days of Milan, a famous episode during the Italian Revolution when the people of Milan rebelled, freeing themselves from the Austrian occupation. By the end of the day, the paintings would be used to perform an orchestrated action, similar to those that can be seen sometimes in football stadiums: 32 people would sit down, each holding a sheet that was part of a bigger picture. Then, at a sign of the artist, everyone would turn their sheet, eventually composing a new picture.
For a quick overview of all five-day performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxXLOgbrXbw
Close-up of the Artist: Andrea Mastrovito
Le Cinque Giornate (The Five Days)
April 5 – 10, 2011
Museo del Novecento, Milan
[left] Andrea Mastrovito, First Day: Milano 1848, April 5, 2011
[right] Andrea Mastrovito, First Day: Naples 2010, April 5, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
View of the performance at Museo del Novecento, Milan
[left] Andrea Mastrovito, Second Day: Il Quarto Stato, April 6, 2011
[right] Andrea Mastrovito, Second Day: Lampedusa 2011, April 6, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
View of the performance at Museo del Novecento, Milan
[left] Andrea Mastrovito, Third Day: Vittorio Veneto 1918, April 7, 2011
[right] Andrea Mastrovito, Third Day: Alzano Lombardo 2010, April 7, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
View of the performance at Museo del Novecento, Milan
[left] Andrea Mastrovito, Forth Day: Milano 1968, April 8, 2011
[right] Andrea Mastrovito, Third Day: L’Aquila 2009, April 8, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
View of the performance at Museo del Novecento, Milan
[left] Andrea Mastrovito, Fifth Day: Isola delle Femmine 1992, April 9, 2011
[right] Andrea Mastrovito, Fifth Day: Bergamo 2009, April 9, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
View of the performance at Museo del Novecento, Milan
On the right, Andrea Mastrovito giving his last brushstrokes to the painting First Day: Milano 1848, April 5, 2011
Acrylic paint on 32 coloured 60 x 50 cm sheets, 32 people
Total dimensions: 240 x 400 cm
Museo del Novecento, Milan
From left: Andrea Mastrovito and me
Le Cinque Giornate (The Five Days), Museo del Novecento, Milan, April 2011
Photo: Laura Fantacuzzi
