Those Hidden Truths - Milan, Mario Raciti's Anthological Exhibition at Palazzo Reale

At the heart of the exhibition project is the artist’s deep bond with Milan and the vibrant cultural context that stimulated his journey over the years

Until September 20th, the first floor of Palazzo Reale is hosting the prestigious anthological exhibition “Mario Raciti. Works 1952-2025”, curated by Luca Pietro Nicoletti. The exhibition was created with the intention of retracing the master’s entire and rich artistic itinerary, from his youthful beginnings to the most recent outcomes of his relentless pictorial research. At the center of the exhibition project is the deep bond connecting the artist to the city of Milan and to the vibrant cultural context that accompanied and stimulated his path over the years. A fundamental testament to this historic union is represented by the significant collection of works acquired by the Municipality of Milan in 1988, on the occasion of the artist’s solo exhibition at the PAC (Contemporary Art Pavilion).

An evanescent, sparse, and subtle painting style, documenting the constant search for an inner dimension and a hidden truth beyond the surface

A careful selection from that historic collection is once again visible to the public today within the itinerary of Palazzo Reale. The exhibition thus shapes up to be an ideal homecoming and, at the same time, the crowning achievement of Raciti’s career in the city where he chose to live and work. His painting, considered one of the most original and deep expressions on the contemporary scene, reflects an intense web of relationships with the Milanese cultural universe of the second half of the 20th century. Indeed, the artist’s path has intertwined not only with art galleries and institutions, but also with leading figures in literature, poetry, and publishing who made the Lombard capital the beating heart of Italian intellectual life. This is well-documented in the volume, rich in reference materials, published for this occasion by SilvanaEditoriale.

Also on display is the core group of works acquired by the Municipality of Milan in 1988 on the occasion of his solo exhibition at the PAC

Raciti’s work has always appeared as an evanescent, sparse, and subtle style of painting, as if to document the constant search for an inner dimension and a hidden truth beyond the surface of reality. In fact, there is an intrinsic difficulty in understanding it, as it escapes a strictly superficial reading. In this sense, and thanks also to this exhibition, Raciti confirms himself today as one of the most cultured, independent, and lyrical voices of Italian abstraction. The fundamental support of the Brothers Antonio, Fiorenzo, Gaspare and Giancarlo Lucchetta and the Euromobil Group (main sponsor of the entire initiative) must be emphasized - long-time friends even before they were collectors of Mario Raciti’s work.

Special mention must go to the support of the Brothers Antonio, Fiorenzo, Gaspare and Giancarlo Lucchetta and the Euromobil Group (main sponsor), who were long-time friends even before becoming his collectors