“Pinocchio, the character whose Adventures are among the world’s most well-known and translated books, is the protagonist of the exhibition entitled Enigma Pinocchio. From Giacometti to LaChapelle – A Great Italian Story. The exhibition brings together, for the first time in Florence, over 50 contemporary art masterpieces from all over the world. Curated by Lucia Fiaschi and set in the beautiful Villa Bardini, the exhibition evokes the adventures of Collodi’s famous character, combining naivety and mischievousness, independence and submission, and ultimately life and death.

The exhibition includes seven sections exploring the multifaceted nature of this enigmatic creature: Pinocchio is (not) a King; Pinocchio is (not) a marionette; Pinocchio is (not) human; Pinocchio is (not) dead; Pinocchio is (not) Pinocchio; Pinocchio is (not) a mask; Pinocchio is (not) a child. Viewers will also find multimedia installations dialoguing with the works on display.

Pinocchio – an extraordinary invention, a metaphor for every possible metaphor – this Tuscan yet universal character, open to all possible interpretations was born at the end of the nineteenth century, but is an authentic twentieth-century being. Interpreted, deciphered, and scanned, exposed to the unspeakable tragedies of the past century, this tragic mask, this marionette was able to achieve the impossible and, incredibly, he lives.” — Villa Bardini

Sam Havadtoy. Pinocchio. Mixed media, lace, acrylic and gold leaf on resin, 160x68x88 cm. Private Collection

David LaChapelle. David Bowie: face masks, 1995. Chromogenic print, 66,04×50,08 cm. David LaChapelle, 1995

Alexander Calder. Red Disc, White Dots on Black, 1960. Painted sheet metal, metal rods and steel wire, 88,9x101x99 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Venice, Hannelore B. e Rudolph B. Schulhof Collection, bequest Hannelore B. Schulhof, 2012. Photo: David Heald © Calder Foundation, New York, by SIAE 2019

Mimmo Paladino. Dono (Framed Pinocchio), 1998 Bronze, iron e lime, 53x42x21 cm. Mimmo Paladino Collection © Mimmo Paladino by SIAE 2019

Gionata Francesconi. Obstinacy, 2015. Wood and papier mache, 210x60x60 cm. Gionata Francesconi Collection © Gionata Francesconi by SIAE 2019

Venturino Venturi. Pinocchio, 1953. Cast bronze, 1980, 90x50x35 cm. San Giovanni Valdarno (AR), Banca del Valdarno Collection

Jim Dine. White Gloves, 4 Wheels, 2007. Oil based enamel and charcoal on wood, 207x148x61 cm. Jim Dine Collection, Courtesy Richard Gray Gallery © Jim Dine by SIAE 2019

Paul McCarthy. Drop Head/Bounce Head, 2009. Brown silicone, 30,5×25,4×25,4 cm. Hauser & Wirth (Zurigo)

Sam Havadtoy. Sitting Pinocchio, 2017. Mixed media, lace, acrylic and gold leaf on resin, 46x39x32 cm. Private collection

All images © Michele Monasta. Courtesy Villa Bardini.

Title image: Installation view of Enigma Pinocchio. Photo © Michele Monasta.