We are reopening some areas of the ground floor of the Palazzo del Tau (the impluvium and adjacent spaces, including the former chiesa del Tau) to the citizens of Pistoia and visitors from outside the city. This exhibition, titled Marino e Pistoia: Di nuovo insieme, showcases a selection of works by the master, allowing the dialogue between one of Italy’s greatest artists and his place of origin to resume.
The exhibition features works from the Fondazione Marino Marini’s collection. Unlike traditional exhibitions that focus on the chronological development of Marini’s work or groupings of his creations—such as Riders, Miracles, Pomonas, Jugglers, Dancers, and sculptural portraits—, this display is arranged differently due to space constraints and the relationship between the works and the architectural setting, following documentary evidence.
Photographic records of Marini’s studios are key to this approach: the atelier at the Istituto Superiore delle Arti Applicate in Monza in the 1930s; the one in Tenero, Switzerland, from 1943 to 1946; and the one in Piazza Mirabello, Milan, in the 1940s and 1950s. These photographs, often taken by notable photographers, show the sculptures crowded together on the floor, engaging in an apparently casual dialogue. This setup actually reveals unexpected iconographic and formal relationships, encouraging viewers to explore unique perspectives. Marini himself intended for these photographs to be published in books and articles about him, rather than kept private.
The current arrangement, with sculptures placed on the ground in the steps of the impluvium and distributed in the adjoining spaces, aims to recreate the visual atmosphere of Marini’s studio. It invites visitors to rediscover his sculptural language, sometimes in relation to his painting, through its expressive tension and formal elegance.
FREE ADMISSION ON RESERVATION:
Promoters and organizers: Fondazione Marino Marini di Pistoia, Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana e Comune di Pistoia.
By the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Marino Marini
Flavio Fergonzi
Mattia Patti
Luciano Pensabene Buemi
con Laura Calvi e Gianmarco Russo
Exhibition design: Arch. Simone Martini
Graphic design: Studio Phaedra, Pistoia
Constructions: I Borghi srl
Transport: Butterfly srl
Insurance: Marsh spa
With the support of: Fondazione Caripit