Gli eroi del quotidiano. Mimmo Paladino per l’Arma dei Carabinieri

Gallerie d’Italia, Milan

The idea behind the exhibition organised at Gallerie d’Italia in Milan by Italy’s Carabinieri Corps is to introduce art lovers to the work of Maestro Mimmo Paladino, the man behind the original images featured in the Military Corps’ 2020 calendar.

The collection is original in two senses: first for its design, based on the organic relationship between real stories, told in incisive style by writer Margaret Mazzantini, and the incredibly evocative photographs taken for the occasion by Paladino; and second for the great inventiveness of Mimmo Paladino’s images, expressed in his usual artistic language but with new solutions and inventions that help make the exhibition truly unique.

Mimmo Paladino is doubtless one of our greatest contemporary artists, universally recognised and acclaimed. An exponent of the Transavanguardia movement, his work has placed Italy at the centre of cultural debate worldwide.

Entering the exhibition, one is instantly attracted by his exceptional communication skills, his style exuding a kaleidoscope of colours and capturing, without any form of intermediation, the intimacy of the great emotions. His style expresses a universal message, one which goes beyond pure representation to become an evocation, drawing on iconic depictions to portray the emotions.

By sketching out his Carabinieri in careful detail, sometimes stylised but always recognisable, he recreates their states of mind, from pain to surprise, from sacrifice to the great joy of service, as in the elegant pomp of the Carosello pageant. Depicting the Carosello in a palette of crisp colours, he maintains the balance and austerity of the ceremony, blending them with the gracefully sinuous, harmonic shapes of the horses. The brilliant colours re-evoke in the observer the astonished gaze of a child before such a majestic ceremony.

While the Carabinieri are certainly not artists – they are probably the most practical people one could find – the exhibition captures the rich range of emotions and humanity of every member of the Corps. The stories telling of the care which all Carabinieri give to those around them are like works of art in themselves, exemplifying how by carrying out heroic gestures every day, its members create the greatest masterpiece of their lives.

The Corps has included the images in its 2020 Calendar; in recognition of this privilege, it decided to share them with the public through a travelling exhibition, enabling everyone to take part in this ideal journey around the everyday commitment of the Carabinieri.

Date
from 05.02.2020 to 23.02.2020
Past
Opening hours
from 9:30 am to 7.30 pm. Open until 10:30 pm on Thursdays. Last admission: 1 hour before closing. Closed on Mondays.
Prices

Combined ticket valid for the exhibitions and permanent collections:
– full-price: €10.00
– reduced: €8.00
– special reduction: €5.00
– free entry for Carabinieri and those accompanying them

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