Remo Salvadori—Palazzo Reale

This publication, conceived to accompany the major retrospective dedicated to Remo Salvadori at the Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento, and the Church of San Gottardo in Corte in Milan, is divided into two volumes.

The first opens with a curatorial essay by Elena Tettamanti and Antonella Soldaini, outlining the conceptual premises and editorial framework of the project. It is followed by a three-way conversation with the artist, which offers a historically and critically informed reading of the works on display, contextualized within the broader span of his practice.

The text is traversed by a central thread of black and white photos that visually accompany the progression of the conversation.

At the core of the book are contributions from thirty-four authors—all previously unpublished, except for those by Germano Celant and Pier Luigi Tazzi—aimed at reflecting on specific themes inherent to Salvadori’s oeuvre.

These are presented as thirty-three entries on specific key words that collectively construct a multifaceted lexicon of his artistic language.

The second volume is dedicated entirely to the exhibition itinerary, tracing its spatial unfolding through a photographic sequence presented seamlessly in leporello format, as though to simulate a walk through the exhibition. The final section features the score of a piano composition by Sandro Mussida, inspired by the works exhibited and performed by the composer himself on the day of the opening and in a moment prior to its closure in one of the exhibition rooms of Palazzo Reale.

The concertina is designed in such a way that it can be leafed through to the end like a catalogue, and followed subsequently by a second leafing in the opposite direction.

Remo Salvadori's art evokes fundamental tenets of anthroposophy and Goethe's conception of nature and reality, tracing harmonious cycles where primary elements such as water, color, and the seven metals, lead, tin, copper, iron, mercury, silver and gold interact, oscillating between elementary chemistry and complex alchemy.

Silver was chosen for the slipcase and in accordance with the artist’s practice, two tones of indigo were used for the covers of the two volumes. Both volumes have hardback covers with a square spine and raw edges on three sides, creating a distinct look with a contemporary feel.