Paladin

The exhibition, hosted in the evocative Stirling Hall by Palazzo Citterio, marks the long-awaited return of Mimmo Paladino in a Milanese public space. The project, curated by Lorenzo Madaro and realised by The Great Brera in collaboration with thePaladino Archive, revolves around one of the most iconic masterpieces by the master of the Transavantgarde: i Sleepers. These thirty-two sculptures in terracotta, Modelled after the same matrix but arranged uniquely for the occasion, they appear as silent figures lying in a foetal position. The installation transforms the hypogeum environment into a veritable theatrical staging, where bodies seem suspended in a liminal dimension between sleep and wakefulness, recalling both the tragic figures of Pompeii and Herculaneum both the designs of Henry Moore dedicated to war shelters.

The experience is enriched by a multi-sensory dimension: the visit is accompanied by the sounds composed by Brian Eno, Paladino's long-standing collaborator, who transforms the hall into a soundscape and meditative. In addition to the sculptural group, the exhibition unveils a nucleus of fifteen unpublished drawings dating back to 1973, kept for decades in the artist's studio in Paduli. These works on paper testify to the roots of Paladino's research into the myth and colour, anticipating the overcoming of minimalism. The close dialogue between contemporary art e architecture makes the route an active place of pause and deep reflection.