Icons Unplugged: Luca Pignatelli

Wrapping up some last minute Christmas shopping last weekend, I found myself wandering around over by Barberini and the Quirinale. I was in search of a particular item, and thus focused on peering into every window I passed, and not paying much attention to where I was walking, until I rounded the corner and ran smack into the (albeit, quite small on this particular day) crowds at the Trevi Fountain. This constant stumble across global icons (oh, hmm, just turning a corner in Monti, oh my, look at the end of the street – it’s the Colosseum) never ceases to make me smile, and on this particular day it was shortly thereafter compounded by another one of my favorite stumbles – the occasional discovery of a previously unknown free, and quite cool, art show in one of the city’s bounty of palazzos. I noticed a sign outside the Palazzo Poli – home to the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica, and notable for being the palace that forms the backdrop for the Trevi itself – and popped inside to take in a three-room show of Luca Pignatelli’s mixed media pieces. His juxtaposition of historical photographs, drawings, and settings with a metallic emphasis provided a nice diversion and welcome break from the rather dreary day outside. So if you find yourself over in that neck of the woods any time between now and February 5th, pop up to the first floor of the Palazzo Poli (entrance on Via Poli) to throw yourself into some classically-founded contemporary art for a few minutes.