Faenza is preparing to welcome a new space dedicated to the memory and artistic production of Alfonso Leoni. On Jan. 25 at 10:30 a.m., Galleria Marta, the permanent home of the artist’s Archive, will be inaugurated with an official presentation in the conference room of MIC Faenza. The event will be attended by Faenza Mayor Massimo Isola, MIC director Claudia Casali and the curators of the archive, Giancarlo and Stefano Paggi.
Galleria Marta comes five years after the anthological exhibition dedicated to Leoni, promoted by MIC Faenza in 2020 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the artist’s death. Curated by Claudia Casali in collaboration with the Leoni Archive, the exhibition aimed to present to the public the artist’s entire output, from his work in ceramics to the different languages of contemporary art, including painting, graphics, design and sculpture.
The exhibition space was named after the artist’s wife, who passed away in January 2021, and became a reference point for the archive she founded. Currently, management of the Archive is entrusted to Giancarlo Paggi and his son Stefano, who oversee the preservation and enhancement of Leoni’s artistic legacy. The gallery will be accessible to the public during specific events, such as the next edition of Argillà, and by appointment by contacting the Alfonso Leoni Archive via email or WhatsApp.
“The idea was thought of years ago by Marta,” comments Giancarlo Paggi, “but for practical reasons it was not developed. It came back to fruition after a suggestion made to me by Claudia Casali, in the spring of 2024, who told me that I should think of a permanent place for Leoni in Faenza. When Leoni died in 1980 he had rented premises used as a studio that were vacated shortly after his death. In 2021 the Archives was contacted by the head of the Cultural Heritage Service of the Region, who, as part of a research project for the enhancement of the homes and studios of Illustrious people in Emilia Romagna asked what was left of the Artist’s workplaces. Remorseful of this, with the patronage of the Faenza MIC, the Municipality of Faenza and the Association of Friends of Ceramics and the MIC, the project was launched and slowly took shape.”
Alfonso Leoni was born in Faenza in 1941 and died there thirty-nine years later of leukemia. His life is closely linked to the city, where he studied at the Ballardini Art Institute and taught Plastic Arts since 1961. Fundamental is his relationship with master Biancini, whose collaborator he becomes and who supports him in his artistic career. With Faenza he has an ambivalent bond: he draws creative stimuli from it but also perceives limits, seeking new paths.
Despite the recognition he received, first prizes at the competitions of Cervia (1966), Gualdo Tadino (1965, 1966, 1975), Rimini (1967), Faenza (1976), his research remains in continuous evolution, experimenting with different materials and languages. He works on paper, wood, bronze, plastic, marble, iron, glass and precious metals; he cuts, tears, assembles, destroys, involves the body and often relies on chance. This approach opens the door for him to critics and major exhibitions, including the International Convention of Art Critics and Scholars in Rimini (1965), exhibitions in Krakow (1968), Milan Triennale (1968), solo shows in Ottawa (1968) and Montreal (1969), a group show at the Victoria & Albert Museum (1972) and Quadriennale d’Arte in Rome (1975).
He also made numerous public interventions and urban furnishings: University of Bologna Faculty of Mathematics (1970), Sanctuary of the Infant Jesus of Prague in Arenzano, Civil Hospital in Codigoro, garden in Alfonsine, elementary school in Bagnacavallo, INPS provincial headquarters in Verona and Rome, Civil Hospital and Cemetery dell’Osservanza in Faenza.
In the last decade he has approached design, trying to spread his ideas to the general public in a provocative way. Among his best-known projects is the “inverted” tile for Maioliche Faentine, awarded the ENAPI Gold Medal at the Faenza Competition (1975). He collaborated with Villeroy & Boch in Germany and with Maioliche Faentine and Rosenthal in Selb, but illness interrupted these relationships. Design also permeates his sculptures: fragments of tableware become “bowls” or panels, awarded the Gold Medal of the President of the Chamber at the Faenza International Competition (1976).
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| Marta Gallery, new home of Alfonso Leoni Archives, opens in Faenza |
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