In 1970 the artist Giuseppe Penone begins to investigate the relationship between human body and environment, using body art and Arte Povera, and in 2017 Fendi hosts ‘Matrice‘, an exhibition of the last fifty years of Giuseppe Penone’s work at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana today Fendi’s headquarters, until 16 July 2017 .

Giuseppe Penone, portrait, courtesy Fendi

Giuseppe Penone, portrait, courtesy Fendi

Every person who passes by Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (also known as the Square Colosseum) in the EUR district, is attracted by the greatness and the silence of its white marble arches erected in 1937 and that Giorgio De Chirico, one of Penone’s reference masters, well suggested in his metaphysical paintings.

The exhibition’s name, Matrice, comes from one of his most monumental works, Matrix (2015), a long fir tree carved following one of its growth rings that represents the relationshiop between men and Nature’s intervention.

In Penone’s art raw materials such as wood, wax, leather, marble, bronze, are extracted from nature and express a free creative act.

This isn’t the sole collaboration between the Roman brand and Penone, Fendi commissioned a large sculpture for Largo Goldoni, just in front of of the brand’s flagship store, adding another big installation in urban spaces like the ones Penone made in Frankfurt and Kassel (Germany).

With Matrice Fendi opens his headquarter to the public for the first time. A way to underline its support to Roman culture, after the restoration of the Trevi Fountain and the preservation of the Four Fountains of Gianicolo, Mosè, Ninfeo del Pincio, Peschiera.

Finally, Rome’s Gagosian Gallery presents another Penone’s exhibition: “Equivalenze” that will coincide with the show at Fendi’s headquarters (from February 5th to April 15th).

Giuseppe Penone, Matrice

Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, Eur, Rome

until 27th of  July 2017

www.fendi.com/it