In the heart of the historic center, by the end of this year, will be inaugurated the new museum completely dedicated to the work of Igor Mitoraj, with the aim of celebrating and relaunching the work of the Polish sculptor linked to Pietrasanta since the 1980s. This project, approved by the Ministry of Culture and in the final phase, was strongly supported both by the mayor Alberto Giovanetti and by the president of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Giani: the work of Mitoraj has undoubtedly contributed to enhancing Pietrasanta as a cultural and artistic center, attracting more and more artists, sculptors and art lovers, coming from all over Italy and all over the world, in our beloved town.
On March 23th the Igor Mitoraj Museum Foundation was created, with the task of cataloging and preserving, as well as exhibiting, of course, the sculptor's works. The headquarters of the foundation will be the Museum itself, currently under construction, at the old market in Via Oberdan. The municipal market building, designed at the time by the architect Tito Salvatori, who was also mayor of Pietrasanta between 1953 and 1956, was subjected to the clearing of unsuitable premises for the construction of structures suitable for housing the sculptures of Polish artist.
Igor Mitoraj (1944-2014) was born in Oedaramn, a town not far from Dresden in Germany, to a Polish mother and a French father with Polish origins. Mitoraj will then grow up in Poland and will study first at the High School in Bielsko-Biala, continuing and perfecting his studies at the Krakow School of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Tadeusz Kantor, painter and theater director among the major theorists of twentieth-century theater. Towards the end of the 1960s Mitoraj will move to Paris, enrolling at the National Higher School of Fine Arts. He will approach sculpture following his studies on Latin American culture, after spending even a year in Mexico. He will return to Paris in 1974, where a personal exhibition will be organized at the La Hune Gallery. This exhibition was so successful that it prompted the artist to devote himself exclusively to sculpture.
During his life Mitoraj will travel a lot, between Greece, Italy, France and New York, and from these experiences he will draw inspiration to create his very personal style, in a perfect balance between modernity and classicism. In 1979 he will be in Carrara and will decide to devote himself also to the working of marble, as well as to terracotta and bronze. This is how in 1983 he will come into contact with Pietrasanta, where he will stay continuously, moving from time to time also in France, and where he will open one of his studios. Little Athens will become a special and important place for him, so much so that in 2001 he will be awarded honorary citizenship. The artist died at the age of 70 in Paris, but at his wish he was buried in the Pietrasanta Cemetery.
Over the years, the artist has donated numerous sculptures to the city, helping to artistically enrich the area. Mitoraj has certainly had a very important influence on the artistic developments of Pietrasanta, which today is one of the cities with the most art galleries in all of Europe and perhaps even around the world. The Mitoraj museum will undoubtedly give a further boost to the growth of the contemporary art market, as well as attracting Italian and foreign tourists and visitors. The works for the construction of the Museum began in January 2020 and should be completed by the summer, so as to allow the opening in autumn-winter 2022. The project was entrusted by competition to the architects Paolo Brescia and Tommaso Principi, both founders of the Open Building Research group, who stated that the Mitoraj Museum will be an extraordinary visiting card for the town and beyond: «a new force not only for Pietrasanta, but for the tourist and cultural system of Versilia and Tuscany».
With the Mitoraj Museum project, Pietrasanta will undoubtedly increase its importance as a city of art and a culture. Buying a property in the historic center could be the ideal solution for art lovers and for anyone who wants a contact with the artistic atmosphere of this area.
Over the years, the Pietrasanta Real Estate Agency has specialized more and more in the splendid sale of properties located in the beating heart of Pietrasanta, precisely because it strongly believes that this city, with its history and its proximity to the world of art, is a unique place of its kind, a truly special place where you can experience close contact with culture and participate in the events and exhibitions that are organized in the historic center. If you are looking for a property for sale in a beautiful location, do not hesitate to contact the Staff of the Pietrasanta Real Estate Agency: we will be happy to meet you and help you find the home of your dreams in this splendid City of Art.
