On the 100th anniversary of his birth and ten years after the passing of François Morellet (Cholet, 1926–2016), the Ragghianti Foundation pays tribute to the French artist with the installation of the light work *π piquant neonly - 1=6°* in the first cloister of the San Micheletto Monumental Complex in Lucca, where the foundation is headquartered. The installation, on view from June 25 to July 19, 2026, and curated by Paolo Bolpagni, is part of a nationwide project developed in parallel with the exhibition organized by the Centre Pompidou and dedicated to Morellet and his relationship with Italy. Attending the opening ceremony are Rachel Morellet, the artist’s granddaughter and representative of the archive, President Raffaele Domenici, and Director Paolo Bolpagni.
The initiative is part of the program ∞François Morellet∞ Centennial in Italy 1926–2026, curated by Paolo Bolpagni and Alessandro Gallicchio, with organizational coordination by A arte Invernizzi A arte Invernizzi. The project involves various Italian cultural institutions in a network of events running from May through November. Venues include the French Academy in Rome—Villa Medici, Bocconi University, Villa Pisani Bonetti in Bagnolo di Lonigo, the MACAMorterone Museum, and the Biscozzi | Rimbaud Foundation.
The relationship between Morellet and the Ragghianti Foundation is part of a long-standing tradition. In 2016, while still alive, the artist was the focus of the exhibition *Sguardi paralleli*, curated by Paolo Bolpagni, in dialogue with Mario Ballocco. On that occasion, the text *Dallo spettatore allo spettatore* (1971) was also published, translated into Italian for the first time. A central figure in European art of the second half of the 20th century, Morellet developed a visual language based on essential geometries and light installations, with a focus on kinetic and optical experiences and Minimalism. Between 1961 and 1968, he was a member of the G.R.A.V. (Group de Recherche d’Art Visuel), contributing to research on the interaction between artwork and viewer. Among the recurring principles of his artistic approach is the idea of maintaining a direct relationship with the audience.
The installation π piquant neonly - 1=6° consists of fourteen neon elements. The structure defines a visual rhythm based on variations and intervals, in which geometric movement becomes a temporal perception. The lighting and pauses of the luminous components follow a logic determined by the interplay between chance and mathematical constants, with reference to the number pi. At the conclusion of the exhibition program, a catalog will be published by Metilene in Pistoia, documenting the project’s milestones and featuring critical essays by the curators. The presentation will take place at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan in late November, during a symposium curated by Francesca Pola.
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| A Tribute to François Morellet in Lucca: Neon and Geometric Forms for the Centennial at the Ragghianti Foundation |
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