Photo Gianfranco Gorgoni. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
26 Nov 1993 – 10 Jan 1994

The exhibition documents the artistic production of Nino Franchina (Udine, Italy, 1912 –Rome, 1987), famous for his large iron constructions with aerodynamic forms and informal matrixes.

Franchina’s works present a dual dynamic: on one hand a tension toward higher points and an extension beyond the confines; on the other a need to define and close the form. This internal contrast gives rise to a plastic dynamic that the artist exasperates with a persistent verticality and extreme distension.

The artworks on display include Realtà nuova (1949), a sculpture characterized by a formal tension in which the penetrating elements acquire plastic aggressiveness through twisting movements; Calandra (1953), which elevates toward the top; Come un istrice (1958) and Magaria (1958), characterized by a decidedly plastic effect; and L’uccello di fuoco (1960), in which the tension toward the higher element expands with a contained force. Last but not least, Inox con lacerazione rossa (1974) and Icaro (1963) render concrete the dialogue between verticality and formal attention.

Venue of the exhibition: Fondazione Prada, via Maffei 2, Milan

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