Massimo Bartolini graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, and his first solo exhibition dates back to 1993. Since his debut, his repertoire has spanned a wide array of expressive media, focusing on the design of elements that recall our perceptive systems and can transform the space. His solo shows were held at prestigious international venues, including the GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin (2005); Centre for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci, Prato (2003); Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto (2007). Among the numerous international art events that enjoyed his participation, may we recall Manifesta 4 (Frankfurt, 2002), the 2nd Santa Fe Biennial (1997), the Venice Art Biennale (2005, 1999), the Yokohama Triennale (2011), and documenta 13, Kassel (2012).

– title: Richiamo

– date: 1998

– medium: site-specific sculpture

– size: 950 cm

– description: The site-specific sculpture entitled Richiamo [Recall] was created for the gallery space of Casa Masaccio on the occasion of Bartolini’s solo show organised in 1998 and curated by Rita Selvaggio. The structure of the sculpture follows the shape of the stairwell in the home of the celebrated painter and forms a handrail. This way, Richiamo escorted visitors to the upper floor of the exhibition, which consisted of space modifying devices. The work was devised as a brass handrail – the same material extensively used for musical instruments thanks to its excellent acoustic properties; a technical feature highlighted by the presence of a trumpet embouchure at the very end of the sculpture. So, what apparently presented itself to visitors as a trivial handrail was in reality a giant wind instrument: in keeping with Bartolini’s poetics, his objects and his actions ultimately unveil their nature of a ‘picklock’ that undermines visitors’ perception, leading them to rethink the space and architecture of a place from a different point of view.