Casva – Centro di alti studi per le arti visive, Milano
To mark the centenary of the birth of Francesco Somaini (1926–2005), CASVA (Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts) in Milan is hosting the exhibition SOMAINI. GIARDINI INQUIETI: la filosofia del paesaggio from September 15 to October 28, 2026.
Curated by Fulvio Irace in collaboration with the Francesco Somaini Scultore Foundation ETS (Milan), the exhibition presents around one hundred works from the artist’s archive—including drawings, documents, photographs, photo-collages, photomontages, models, and sculptures—created between 1965 and 1999, some of which are previously unseen or rarely exhibited. These works trace the evolution of Somaini’s unique creative process over the decades in question, a journey marked by profound reflection on the environment and defined by a vision of “total ecology.”
The exhibition at Casva—following Somaini. Premonizioni, held at the Biblioteca Braidense—continues the exploration of the artist’s work regarding nature and landscape in relation to the urban context, anticipating themes later addressed by Gilles Clément in his renowned 2004 Manifesto of the Third Landscape. This critical awareness developed gradually, beginning as early as 1950 with his decision to live and work in the countryside of Lomazzo—his hometown—and became more defined over time through various professional projects. Foremost among these was the design of the Largo Marinai d’Italia Garden, created in conjunction with the first national-scale monument built in the post-war period, which was funded by the Banca Popolare di Milano.
This research subsequently led to the creation of other artistic projects: sculptures and installations themed around the landscape (1970–90), design drawings for Milan’s Spine Verdi (1972), photomontages for Mantua (1977) and Duisburg (1979), a performance in the Lucca Botanical Garden (1980), photomontages of Milano dall’alto (1980), drawings and designs for the Parc de la Villette competition in Paris (1982), and drawings from the series Reflections on the Theme of the Tree (1999).
Taking the unfinished project for the landscaping of the Marinai d’Italia gardens as a case study, the exhibition explores Somaini’s relationship with the theme of urban greenery, a subject particularly close to his heart in the context of re-humanizing the consumerist city.
Catalogue published by Silvana Editoriale.
Opening hours:
Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00-17:30
Tickets:
Free entry
Adress:
Casva – Centro alti studi per le arti visive, via Isernia 5 Milano
M1 QT8
For information:
Write to c.casva@comune.milano.it
www.comune.milano.it-Casva