Into the Labyrinth

A new collaboration brings the magic of sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro to Fendi.

- ADRIENNE GAFFNEY

First came Fendi, then came Arnaldo Pomodoro. The famed Italian sculptor was born just a year after the historic Italian fashion house that has taken inspiration from his work over a decade-long relationship. Now Fendi is celebrating the interplay between the two with

Arnaldo Pomodoro: The Great Theatre of Civilizations, an exhibition of the artist’s work on display through October 1 at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a rectangular architectural highlight known as the Square Colosseum, which serves as the brand’s Rome headquarters. The show traces themes of history and mythology seen throughout Pomodoro’s work and includes pieces created over more than 70 years, among them never- before-seen archival materials.

The connection between the two began in 2013, when Fendi opened its Milan showroom in Via Solari 35, a former steel plant that later housed the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation. Fendi maintained a space for Pomodoro’s large-scale piece Ingresso nel labirinto (“Entry Into the Labyrinth”), which served as a source of fascination to visitors