Events

With an exhibition exploring non-figurative art from the penultimate decade of the 20th century, the Fondazione Ragghianti and the Fondazione Centro delle Arti Lucca present “The Extended Space: Artistic Pathways in the 1980s” curated by Paolo Bolpagni and Francesca Pola, on view from November 14 2026 to January 10, 2027.

The exhibition project begins at the Ragghianti Foundation and extends to some of the most significant historic sites in downtown Lucca. The exhibition brings together works by, among others, Dadamaino, Gianni Colombo, François Morellet, and Grazia Varisco, along with site-specific installations by Felice Varini, David Tremlett, and Michel Verjux.

The main part of the exhibition will be housed at the Ragghianti Foundation, where the works will offer a reinterpretation of the 1980s, going beyond the period’s best-known movements, such as the Transavantgarde, Neo-Expressionism, and Graffiti Art. A parallel exploration on geometry, the repetition of forms, and monochromatic color that transcends the boundaries of traditional painting to engage with space and light. François Morellet’s blue neon installation “π piquant neonly - 1=6°” will once again be on display in the cloister of the San Micheletto Monumental Complex.

The exhibition route encompasses various locations throughout the city: at the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, visitors can admire David Tremlett’s installation, “Graded Colours e,f,g,h / Lucca Project,” conceived in dialogue with the building’s architectural forms. The Church of Sant’Alessandro Maggiore, meanwhile, will host works by Gianni Asdrubali and Michel Verjux, which explore the theme of light. In the Cloister of Santa Caterina at the Real Collegio, visitors will find the kinetic and programmed art of Gianni Colombo and Grazia Varisco, while the Passaggio delle Carrozze at the Palazzo Ducale will host “Passaggio di dischi” by Felice Varini. 

The exhibition ties in with the ideas of Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti and his interest in abstract art, as evidenced by the book he dedicated to Piet Mondrian and 20th-century art.


OPENING HOURS:
November 14–December 27: Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
December 28–January 10: Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Special opening: December 8
Closed on December 25

Fondazione Centro Studi sull'Arte Licia e Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti
fondazioneragghianti.it
Tel. 0583 467205 - info@fondazioneragghianti.it