Pier Paolo Calzolari at 21Art Montecarlo: “Selected Works” Comes to Mareterra

Pier Paolo Calzolari arrives in Monaco with a new exhibition dedicated to his artistic research and his exploration of the relationship between matter, space and perception. From October 1, 2026 to January 9, 2027, the new exhibition space of 21Art Montecarlo, located in the Mareterra district, will host Selected Works, a solo exhibition dedicated to one of the key figures of Arte Povera.

Curated by Sergio Risaliti, the exhibition brings together recent works and pieces from different periods of Calzolari’s career, offering a cross-section of an artistic investigation developed over more than fifty years.

Pier Paolo Calzolari and the transformation of matter

Born in Bologna in 1943, Pier Paolo Calzolari is a leading figure of Arte Povera, the movement that profoundly influenced the Italian and international art scene from the second half of the 1960s onwards.

Throughout his career, the artist has developed a distinctive language in which seemingly simple and natural materials become tools for exploring perception and the transformation of matter.

Salt, fire, ice, metal and natural pigments are among the recurring elements in his work, often combined with urban and industrial materials. This interplay allows Calzolari to create works in which matter, time and space constantly interact.

An exhibition between poetry, memory and alchemical processes

Selected Works does not simply present a chronological selection of the artist’s production. Instead, it creates a dialogue between works from different periods of his career.

Calzolari’s research unfolds through a dimension that brings together art, poetry and literature, with particular attention to processes of transformation and the almost alchemical qualities of materials.

His works are not simply objects placed within an exhibition space. They actively contribute to transforming the perception of their surroundings, creating a relationship with the environment through traces, scents, temperatures, surfaces and memories.

This ability to engage both the space and the viewer is one of the distinctive features of the artist’s practice.

21Art Montecarlo, a new space for contemporary art in Monaco

The exhibition dedicated to Pier Paolo Calzolari represents another important chapter for 21Art Montecarlo, following its opening exhibition devoted to Belgian artist Jan Fabre.

The initiative was established as a benefit company founded by Alessandro Benetton, based on a project by Davide Vanin, with the aim of developing an international platform in Monaco dedicated to contemporary art and collecting.

Alongside the exhibition space, the project also includes the 21Art Club, a community designed for collectors, professionals and art enthusiasts, with opportunities for cultural encounters and discussions around contemporary art.

Contemporary art meets Mareterra

The new exhibition is presented in the setting of Mareterra, Monaco’s new eco-district designed by Renzo Piano.

The presence of 21Art within this new district further strengthens Monaco’s role as a meeting point for contemporary art, architecture, design and innovation.

In this context, Calzolari’s practice, rooted in the relationship between nature, matter and space, takes on a particularly meaningful exhibition dimension, establishing a dialogue between the artist’s work and the contemporary architecture that surrounds it.

Pier Paolo Calzolari: “Selected Works” in Monaco

With Selected Works, 21Art Montecarlo presents an exhibition dedicated to one of the most significant Italian artists in contemporary artistic research.

The exhibition will be open to the public from October 1, 2026 to January 9, 2027, at 21Art’s exhibition space within Mareterra, Principality of Monaco.

It is an opportunity to explore, through recent and historical works, an artistic practice that continues to investigate the relationship between matter, space, memory and perception, highlighting the enduring vitality of a language developed by Calzolari over more than five decades.