The architecture of life

The Galleria Civica di Modena presents is the first comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Cesare Leonardi, an eclectic figure in the architectural and contemporary art world.

“Cesare Leonardi. L’Architettura della Vita” is the first comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Cesare Leonardi (b. Modena, 1935), an eclectic and original figure in the architectural and contemporary art world. Over the course of a career spanning more than fifty years, Leonardi’s pratice has included architecture, town planning, photography, design, painting and sculpture, working non-stop on the boundary between artistic planning and practice.

<b>Top:</b> Cesare Leonardi, 2012, photo Joseph Nemeth. <b>Above:</b> C. Leonardi, <i>Estate 1</i>, Rimini, 1975. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, F. Stagi, Poltrona Nastro, 1961 and Dondolo, 1967. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, <i>Carpinus Betulus</i> (detail), 1962-1963. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, F. Stagi, Modello di studio di un parco, 1978. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, <i>Solidi</i>, 1983-2003. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, <i>Meteo 3</i>, 2001. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, <i>Skyline</i>, Cesenatico, 1975. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, F. Stagi, Collegio San Carlo renovation, Modena, 1973-1977. Courtesy Biblioteca Civica d’Arte L. Poletti di Modena, Fondo Stagi
C. Leonardi, Casa Mescoli-Goich in Modena, 1984-1993. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, Struttura Reticolare Acentrata (SRA), 1988. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi
C. Leonardi, <i>Bosco</i>, 1970, photo Francesca Mora
C. Leonardi, Primavera 4, 1972-1977. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi

  The exhibition presents a wide range of works and documents, preserved in Leonardi’s home-cum-studio – currently the venue of the Archivio Leonardi – and tells the extraordinary story of a life dedicated to planning and design. The exhibition itinerary is enhanced by a video documentary on the work of Cesare Leonardi, produced by Panottica.

C. Leonardi, F. Stagi, L’Architettura degli Alberi, 1982. Courtesy Archivio Architetto Cesare Leonardi


15 September 2017 – 4 February 2018
Cesare Leonardi. L’Architettura della Vita
curated by Andrea Cavani and Giulio Orsini
Galleria Civica di Modena, Palazzo Santa Margherita and Palazzina dei Giardini
Modena