Cultural agenda
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Alberto Savinio

Tombeau d’un roi maure

1929, olio su tela

Alberto Savinio, a central figure in twentieth-century European culture and a leading figure of the Metaphysical movement, developed a body of pictorial work that was deeply intertwined with his theoretical and literary output. Created in 1929 and initially circulated with an incorrect translation of the title, the work belongs to the early phase of Savinio’s exploration of myth and memory, forming part of the series of ‘imaginary monuments’: compositions of hybrid objects and toys set in primordial landscapes devoid of human presence. The landscape, minimalist and suspended, accentuates the enigmatic nature of the composition, whilst the stylistic variety of the elements introduces a subtle element of irony. The painting becomes a mental and narrative space, where images and meanings emerge and dissolve, reflecting the complexity of Savinio’s thought.

Currently on loan:

Alberto Savinio. Souvenir

Pinacoteca Agnelli - Torino

30 Oct 2026 - 04 Apr 2027

The most significant exhibition dedicated to the work of Alberto Savinio (1891, Athens – 1952, Rome), an intellectual who was one of the leading figures in 20th-century European culture.

Curated by Sarah Cosulich and Pietro Rigolo, organised in collaboration with the Alberto Savinio Archive and with the support of an international scientific committee, the exhibition brings together some seventy-five works, including paintings and drawings, offering a comprehensive and nuanced reinterpretation of his artistic development from the 1920s to the early 1950s.

A figure who defies categorisation within a single discipline, Savinio moved between music, literature, theatre and the visual arts, constructing a personal imagery in which classical myth, memory, irony and invention coexist. The exhibition captures this complexity through a narrative that highlights the extraordinary originality of his painting and his contribution to the development of twentieth-century visual culture.

The exhibition itinerary traces the evolution of his artistic practice through some of the most significant thematic strands of his output: references to the classical world and the Greece of his childhood; the theme of memory; family portraits; hybrid figures blending human and animal forms; his famous ‘toys’; anthropomorphic landscapes; and his graphic work, which took on increasing autonomy in the final years of his career.

Rather than a chronological account, Souvenir offers a reflection on Savinio’s extraordinary ability to navigate his own era whilst anticipating issues that remain central to this day: the relationship between identity and representation, the dialogue between cultures, the construction of memory, and the role of the imagination as a tool for knowledge.

To accompany the exhibition, Mousse Publishing will publish a bilingual Italian-English catalogue, the first institutional publication in English dedicated to the artist. The volume brings together original essays by international scholars, a rich collection of illustrations and a chronology that traces Savinio’s personal and artistic journey, interweaving the visual arts, literature and music.

Find out the exhibition