Enzo Cucchi. The Poet and the Magician

edited by Luigia Lonardelli and Bartolomeo Pietromarchi
texts by Luigia Lonardelli, Francesco Longo, Giulia Lopalco, Mario Finazzi, Valerio Magrelli, Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, Denis Viva
bilingual Italian/English edition
5Continents Editions, 2023
28×24 cm
256 pages
€ 39

Published on the occasion of the major exhibition at MAXXI The Poet and the Magician, this catalogue documents Enzo Cucchi’s universe in all its richness and extraordinary versatility: works on paper, books, paintings, and sculptures that combine painting, terracotta, ceramics, marble and bronze, nets and irons. Texts with different registers are interwoven within the publication to restore the complexity of a visionary artist who is difficult to define. Bartolomeo Pietromarchi’s essay analyzes Enzo Cucchi’s production in light of his latest research. At the same time, Luigia Lonardelli’s text outlines the exhibition itinerary by placing it within the open and an anhistorical approach chosen to guide the exhibition. Denis Viva delves into the scope of Transavanguardia and its relationship with Cucchi’s research, Valerio Magrelli probes the connections with the world of literature and the presence of the written word in his work, Mario Finazzi attempts an impossible interview with the artist. At the same time, Giulia Lopalco outlines his biographical profile. The volume is enriched by an anthology of poetic texts loved by the artist and a list of books selected for the exhibition from his library, with a reading by Francesco Longo. Extensive inserts of photographs punctuate the textual apparatus, more than 100 images of artworks created from the 1970s to the present, as well as views of exhibitions, installations and documentation photos. The result is a composite portrait of an artist spanning different eras and styles amid references to poetry, literature and art history.