Until August 30: CARNALE. Until November 1: ART OF DISRUPTION. Luigi Pecci Contemporary Art Center. Viale della Repubblica 277, Prato. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. Admission €10.
A recent visit to the Luigi Pecci Contemporary Art Center offered the opportunity to experience two exhibitions that challenge traditional ways of thinking through art, photography, using personal expression. Although different in subject matter, Routes: Art of Disruption and Carnale share a common thread: both explore how artists have questioned social norms and pushed creative boundaries.
The larger of the two, Routes: Art of Disruption, takes visitors through decades of avant-garde artistic experimentation from the post-World War II period to the present day. Drawn from the collection of Carlo Palli, the show brings together artists who experimented with new ways of creating and presenting art, often challenging the traditional rules of the art world.
Routes begins by introducing visitors to some of the artists and movements that helped shape modern avant-garde art. Works by Fortunato Depero showcase the Futurist movement’s interest in experimenting with language and design, while Man Ray’s reimagined everyday objects reflect the unconventional ideas of Dadaism. Visitors will also recognize Andy Warhol’s colorful pop art, which turned ordinary products into cultural icons, alongside the imaginative and dreamlike works of Joseph Cornell.
Throughout the exhibition, artists continually challenge traditional ideas about language and meaning. Emilio Isgrò’s famous erasures invite viewers to reconsider the relationship between text and interpretation, while Emilio Villa’s writings on polystyrene boards blur the line between literature and visual art. The exhibition also explores the rise of visual poetry through artists such as Lamberto Pignotti and Eugenio Miccini, who used the language of advertising and mass communication to create new artistic forms.
Other sections focus on the many directions avant-garde art took during the second half of the 20th century. Works by Franco Angeli, Antonio Bueno, and Jean Tinguely demonstrate how artists responded to history, politics, and popular culture through highly personal visual languages. Mail art, pioneered by Ray Johnson, reveals how artistic exchange itself became a creative medium, encouraging unexpected connections between artists across the world.
One of the most engaging aspects of Routes is its exploration of art beyond the canvas. Through body art, performance, and environmental installations, artists expanded the definition of what art could be. Michelangelo Pistoletto and Gianni Pettena transformed objects and spaces into artistic experiences, while Daniel Spoerri, a pioneer of ‘Eat Art’ and Arman reimagined everyday objects through the lens of Nouveau Réalisme. The exhibition also highlights the groundbreaking performance work of Yoko Ono, whose pieces encourage reflection on participation, identity, and human connection.
The display continues with works associated with Fluxus, an international movement that viewed art not simply as an object but as a way of experiencing life. This philosophy is explored further through Re-Fluxus, a companion exhibition that celebrates experimentation across artistic disciplines. Bringing together visual art, music, and performance, the exhibition reflects the movement’s belief that creativity should flow freely between different forms of expression, including the work of composer and artist Sylvano Bussotti.
The final sections of Routes focus on painting’s evolution in contemporary art. Works by Alighiero Boetti, Mario Schifano, who was inspired by Pop Art,, Sandro Chia, and Mimmo Paladino demonstrate how artists continued to reinvent painting while drawing inspiration from symbolism, narrative, and personal expression. Together, these works reveal how the avant-garde spirit has remained a driving force in contemporary art for decades.
While Routes focuses on artists who challenged traditional ideas about art, Carnale takes a more personal approach through photography. Dedicated to photographer Verita Monselles, the exhibition explores topics such as identity, feminism, motherhood, religion, and sexuality through portraits, fashion photography, and images drawn from her own experiences.
Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Florence, Monselles began using photography in the late 1960s as a way to tell her own story and those of many women navigating the expectations of a traditionally structured society. Her work frequently questions stereotypes surrounding femininity and examines the pressures imposed by family, religion, and social norms.
Rather than following a chronological order, Carnale brings together different phases of Monselles’ career in conversation with one another. Throughout the exhibition, she challenges symbols of patriarchal and religious authority, often using irony to expose their contradictions. Her photographs question the roles women have historically been expected to occupy while encouraging viewers to reflect on issues that remain relevant today.
Even though the two displays focus on different mediums, they both encourage visitors to look at familiar ideas in a new way. Routes highlights artists who broke away from traditional artistic rules, while Carnale uses photography to explore questions about identity, gender, and society. Together, the exhibitions show how art can spark conversations and challenge the way we think about the world around us. (Maquinna Peglow)
