Work in Progress

Artworks from the Galleria d’Arte Moderna of Palazzo Collicola and from The Marignoli di Montecorona Foundation.

Curated by Michele Drascek, Duccio K. Marignoli, Marco Tonelli

Palazzo Collicola, Spoleto
26 June – 26 September 2021

The aim of this exhibition is to compare a very special group of works of art – sketches, models, preparatory drawings, and studies – from two art collections based in Spoleto. The concept is to create a seamless historical line, from the sixteenth century to the present, by showcasing works from the collections of the Palazzo Collicola Modern Art Gallery and the Marignoli di Montecorona Foundation.

Displayed on two floors of the Palazzo Collicola museum (the Hall of Honor on the Piano nobile and the Gallery of Modern Art), the collections offer an opportunity for a comprehensive exploration and consideration of the meaning of “work in progress” and therefore of the concepts of a work of art, of the unfinished, and the relationship between the imagined and real dimensions of an artwork, be it a painting or sculpture. Through a theme that traverses, and is common to, several periods, the exhibition sheds light on the fluid, dynamic and ever-changing nature of the artistic process and the creation of a work of art, hence the title “Work in Progress”.

With its detailed descriptions of the works on display, the exhibition catalogue expands on the concept of “work in progress”. The scholarly essays, including those by the curators focused on their respective collections, and by Sir Timothy Clifford, member of the Advisory Board of The Marignoli di Montecorona Foundation and by the art historian Thierry Dufrêne, member of the Advisory Board of Palazzo Collicola offer a methodological and art-historical assessment of the more general situation.

The exhibition features a total of 70 works including drawings, paintings, sculptures, wooden maquettes, and models. Some of the items were retrieved from the Palazzo Collicola storage facilities specifically for this occasion; others from the Palazzo Marignoli collection are being put on public display for the first time ever. This show is definitely a way to promote and foster appreciation of the city’s collections that include works by world-renowned artists such as Federico Barocci, Anton Raphael Mengs, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Bernard Boutet de Monvel, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Domenico Gnoli, and Sol LeWitt.