100% Baj

Inauguration and opening weekend with visits to the new room entirely dedicated to Enrico Baj inside the Palp – Palazzo Pretorio in Pontedera. Inside, visitors can admire the sketches that the artist created for the realization of the artwork hosted by the city, the Muro di Baj on Viale Risorgimento.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place last Saturday, attended by Mayor Matteo Franconi, Culture Councillor Francesco Mori, and local administrators who, twenty years ago, conceived and brought this project to life. This artwork, created thanks to the work of Novamosaici, was born in 2006 from drawings made by Enrico Baj shortly before his death. Thanks to a collaborative effort involving the Municipal Administration, led by Mayor Paolo Marconcini, Culture Councillor Daniela Pampaloni, and with the crucial support of architect Alberto Bartalini, it took shape, becoming one of the city’s symbols.

These historic sketches have now found a permanent home. In the year marking the twentieth anniversary of the Baj Project in the city and the centenary of the birth of an artist who was one of the masters of the national and international neo-avant-garde, Pontedera pays tribute to him with 100% Baj. The tribute includes an exhibition in the atrium and terrace of the Town Hall, in the underpass of Via della Stazione Vecchia, and, most notably, the permanent exhibition at Palp – Palazzo Pretorio.

Following the inauguration of the new room, a roundtable discussion was held at the Agorà cineclub on the life and work of Baj, with the participation of students from the Russoli Art High School. The permanent exhibition of Baj’s sketches will be open to visitors on the opening days of Palp – Palazzo Pretorio. Starting from December 7, coinciding with the launch of the retrospective on Giorgio Dal Canto, it will be accessible every day except Monday, from 10 AM to 7 PM.