Embracing the theme of Flashback 2022 – He.art, Galleria Abscondita interpreted the 'heart' of art not just as a muscle, but as the vital pulse connecting the visionary mind of the designer with the skilled hands of the master craftsman. The exhibition highlighted the applied arts of the 20th century as the supreme synthesis of this symbiosis.
The curation traced a trajectory through the golden age of Italian applied arts:
The Murano Masters - A selection of iconic glassworks from the 1920s and 1930s by Vittorio Zecchin, Napoleone Martinuzzi, and Carlo Scarpa for Venini and M.V.M. Cappellin dialogued with the sculptural, submerged forms of Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d’Arte (1930s–50s).
Ceramic Dialogues - The historical span was anchored by a rare 1927 neoclassical cista by Gio Ponti (Richard-Ginori), juxtaposed with the avant-garde language of Ettore Sottsass. Two rare vase-holders produced by Bitossi for Il Sestante in 1959 were presented, one featuring a unique, previously undocumented color combination.
The Sculptor’s Gaze - Completing the selection was an intimate discovery: three previously unseen photographs by Adolfo Wildt, printed and signed by the artist shortly before his death in 1931.