The year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Gio’ Pomodoro’s artistic work on the Island of Elba. It was in 1996 that the sculptor was invited to the island as part of an exhibition project and created a series of monumental granite works, conceived as a tribute to the inhabitants of Elba and to the memory of the region. From that creative period, spent between the San Piero quarry and the village of Poggio, four significant works remain on the island: the Dionysus Pillar, the Okeanos Fountain, the Seat for Two, and the Table of the Ancestors. To celebrate this anniversary, the Municipality of Marciana and Pro Loco Marciana Elba are presenting a thematic tour dedicated to the relationship between the artist and the island. The initiative, scheduled from August 25 to October 31, 2026, features the large granite sculptures preserved in Poggio and Pomonte, an exhibition set up in the Church of San Niccolò in Poggio, and a video testimony.
The project stems from research conducted directly in the local area, which has made it possible to uncover numerous previously unpublished accounts related to the artist’s experience during the summer of 1996. Drawings, photographs, watercolors, and handwritten notes by Gio’ Pomodoro offer insight into the creative process that led to the creation of the four sculptures. Complementing this material is a video featuring a collection of brief testimonies, designed to convey the human and artistic context in which the project took shape. The initiative aims to fill the gap in information regarding that particular experience on Elba and to offer a more comprehensive understanding of Pomodoro’s works on the island.
The project was made possible thanks to the collaboration of numerous local associations and private collectors on Elba, who provided materials and testimonies.
As Rossella Farinotti, executive director of the Gio’ Pomodoro Archive, points out, the artist’s site-specific works always arose froma careful reflection on the places where they were created, addressing themes related to the community, history, and identity of the territories. Before creating a sculpture, Pomodoro would study the context, paying particular attention to local materials and the people who possessed the necessary skills to work with them. In the case of Elba, this interest focused primarily on the granite from the San Piero quarry, which was used alongside iron in the creation of the works. The four sculptures on Elba can therefore be interpreted as “archeologies of the island,” but also as a tribute to the work of the granite quarrymen. The documents recovered during the research—in particular the artist’s notes and drawings—also make it possible to reconstruct the various phases that preceded the creation of the works.
The four sculptures created by Pomodoro in 1996 are now located in various places around the island. Dionysus and Okeanos are in Poggio, while Sedile per Due is located in Pomonte, in Piazza del Calello. La Tavola degli Antenati, on the other hand, is currently at the San Piero quarry, where it is awaiting restoration.
The inauguration of the thematic tour is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, at 6:30 p.m., in Poggio, at the Church of San Niccolò. The following day, Wednesday, August 26, at 9:30 p.m., the event will move to Marciana, at the Fortezza Pisana, where the video and the entire research project dedicated to Gio’ Pomodoro’s experience on Elba will be presented. The initiative is promoted and organized by Pro Loco Marciana Elba APS, with the support and sponsorship of the Municipality of Marciana. The project and its coordination are led by Icilio Disperati and Tiziana Pisani, with the collaboration of Bruto Pomodoro and the guidance of Rossella Farinotti, director of the Gio’ Pomodoro Archive.
The contribution of various local organizations was also essential, including the Circolo Amici di Poggio, Le Macinelle Circolo Culturale, and the Sergio Spina Association, as well as private collectors from Poggio who authorized the use of the images. The research also benefited from the work of the Joint Management of the Municipal Archives of Elba Island, which facilitated access to the Marciana Municipal Archive, and from the support of the Tuscan Archipelago Museum System in promoting the initiative. Finally, our thanks go to the pastor of the Church of San Niccolò in Poggio and to all those who contributed to the realization of this project.
|
| Gio' Pomodoro on Elba: A Thematic Exhibition Traces the Connection Between the Artist and the Island |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
IT
FR
DE
ES
CN
