The works of Giorgio Morandi and Lucio Fontana have been placed in close proximity on other occasions as well, but those were broad group exhibitions dedicated to avant-garde art in Italy. Never before had there been such a direct comparison, capable of shedding new light on two creative essences that seem distant but surprisingly communicate with each other. In fact, a first encounter took place recently in La Spezia with the unprecedented and in-depth exhibition titled Morandi and Fontana. Invisible and Infinite, curated by Sergio Risaliti and Maria Cristina Bandera, at the CAMeC Museum – Center for Modern and Contemporary Art La Spezia. The scholarly value of that initiative sparked interest beyond national borders. It was precisely this that served as the starting point for Tornabuoni Art’s invitation to present the exhibition in the French capital. It should be added that other “duets” involving these artists have recently been attempted. Fontana has been put in dialogue with Michelangelo Pistoletto and Georg Baselitz, while Morandi shared space with Giacometti in a project conceived by the Giacometti Institute in Paris earlier this year. On this occasion, thanks to a careful selection carried out together with Michele Casamonti, a new encounter between Morandi and Fontana comes to life through a group of works that establish a rich dialogue among themselves.
In the catalogue published for this exhibition, the “game” of cross-references becomes even more evident: unprecedented parallels emerge between “openings,” enlargements of details intersect and, in some cases, seem to extend into each other. This enriches the hermeneutic experience, which will never be fully satisfied in the attempt to unveil the mystery of Morandi’s and Fontana’s works in search of their ultimate meaning. A meaning that can never be exhausted by any critical attempt to define its breadth and depth. It is in this inexhaustible richness that the truth and power of these masterpieces reside.

The exhibition will be on view from October 20, 2025, to January 10, 2026, at the Tornabuoni Art gallery in Paris.

Sergio Risaliti graduated in Florence with a degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History. Since 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Museo Novecento in Florence. He is an art historian and critic, creator and curator of exhibitions and interdisciplinary events, writer, and journalist. To his credit, he has conceived and curated around one hundred exhibitions in both public and private spaces.