Fabio Mauri nasceva 100 anni fa e non ha mai smesso di essere attuale. Le celebrazioni del centenario
Fabio Mauri, born in Rome on April 1, 1926, would have turned 100 this year. The article commemorates the centenary of the Italian artist, known for his multidisciplinary practice spanning installation, performance, painting, sculpture, writing, and theater. It highlights a seminal 1980 installation in Florence where he dyed the water of the Palazzina Reale's basin red, a pointed critique of the fascist regime that inaugurated the building in 1935. The piece also recalls his famous performance "Che cosa è il fascismo" (1971) and his projection of Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" onto the filmmaker's body in 1975. The centenary is marked by a cover feature in Artribune Magazine issue 90, distributed from the Venice Biennale opening through June, supported by the Scientific Committee and Studio Fabio Mauri.
Mauri's work remains urgently relevant because it continuously deconstructs ideology—not only fascism but any system that compromises truth and ethics. His multidisciplinary approach, blending art with philosophy, physics, and theology, speaks directly to contemporary struggles with truth and morality. The article underscores that his legacy is still being activated through institutions, galleries, and the forthcoming printed edition of his catalogue raisonné, edited by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. By revisiting his critique of Italy's unresolved fascist architectural and sculptural heritage, the article argues that Mauri's art is a necessary tool for confronting persistent political and ethical challenges today.