In Paris, an exceptional exhibit is currently causing excitement: Piero Fornasetti, painter, skulptor, artist and decorator from Milano (1913-1988) has moved into the Musèe des Arts dècoratives in the Louvre with all his works. More that 1000 exhibits, chronologically layed out in various rooms, overloaded with a touch of trash take the visitor into Fornasetti’s world. Together with his only son Barnaba Fornasetti who is in charge of handling his legacy, museum director Olivier Gabet created the concept for the exhibit: "His unique talent can only be understood when viewing his complete collection of works", says the 38 year old museum director.
One central object which keeps turning up repeatedly is a ceramic plate from the series "Tema & Variazioni" , depicting the face of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri, who fascinated Fornasetti all of his life. He has created 350 variations of her face. Also shown are cover illustrations for the architectural magazine DOMUS; logos, sketches and private photos of this jack-of-all-trades. Carpets, tablets, chairs with sunflowers painted on them, newspaper holders and room deviders with multidimensional drawings, such as the lithographed wooden cupboard "Architettura" obscure the line between a work of art and an ordinary useful object. Too bad that the painter who studied art did not also use a camera.
His son Barnaba Fornasetti extended the ceramic plate collection especially for the Paris exhibit by adding two new motives – Lina with a Dali-mustache and pilots goggles that reflect the Eiffel Tower and Lina as Marianne with a Jacobine hat. A complete biography and further details to Piero Fornasetti’s works can be found on the website of the museum and/or directly via FORNASETTI.
Musèe des Arts décoratifs, 107, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
