Exhibitions & Activities
From June 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027
MITORAJ. PRESENT
Igor Mitoraj is a great example of an artist who chose Versilia as the place in which to develop and realise his artistic practice. In particular, in 1983 he established his studio in the town of Pietrasanta, a location that allows for close contact with the network of artisan workshops and artists.
The exhibition presents a substantial collection of works, offering a varied overview of the artist’s oeuvre and revealing the original core of the museum’s collection.
The works span the period from 1975 to 2013, a broad timeframe that encompasses the start of his career in Paris and ends one year before his death. During this period, the artist complemented his famous production of monumental sculptures with a vast series of works in different formats.
The smaller-scale works consist of jewelry, including historic pieces such as Torso Bijou (1977) or Torso Italico (1983), in which the distinctive iconographic traits of Mitoraj’s aesthetic are already evident: from the characteristic bandages to the metaphysical openings that pierce the material of the bodies. The centrality of the human figure is immediately apparent, explored through a decomposition into limbs that evokes idealised creatures, of which only fragments remain.
This theme, the cornerstone of the artist’s entire creative career, is constantly reworked in countless variations, materials and formats, as demonstrated, for example, by the various sculptural developments of Bocca della Rocca (1985) or Armure (1978). Characterised by a marked propensity for manual craftsmanship, Mitoraj made the traditional sculptural techniques of Versilia his own.
His work oscillated between a preference for stone materials, chosen for their visceral connection to the earth, and skilful experimentation in the application of metallic patinas. Through the latter, Mitoraj was able to achieve an iridescent colour palette, ranging from the deep black of Disque Noir (1978) to the intense blue of Photios (1999).
The exhibition layout draws direct inspiration from the pedestals frequently used by the artist himself and the artisans in their workshops. The generous volumes of these bases define and give rhythm to the space, arranging the works in an open dialogue devoid of hierarchy that provides an overview of the collection – which will be fully on display once the drawings and paintings are also incorporated into the exhibition at a later date.
This choice marks the beginning of broader research of the museum dedicated to the works of Igor Mitoraj.
