From February 22 to June 15, 2025, the Biscozzi Foundation | Rimbaud ETS in Lecce presents the exhibition Sandro Chia. The two painters. Works on paper 1989-2017, curated by Lorenzo Madaro.

A protagonist in the history of contemporary art, Sandro Chia (Florence, 1946) was among the founders of the Transavanguardia, the movement theorized by the critic Achille Bonito Oliva in the late seventies.

The title of the exhibition - which recalls the title of important historical works by the artist, one of which, Two painters at work - is a clear reference to the metamorphic nature of Chia's commitment, always oriented on one hand towards an advancement of the expressive lexicon and on the other towards a constant and obsessive reworking of images from art history.

The exhibition, which offers a systematic survey of his production on paper with a hundred works on display, aims to be a true journey into his intimate archive of images that have made him a recognized master of painting, exemplifying his imaginary rich in references to art history, but also ironic and mocking visions, oscillations between bodies, symbols, and allegories of art and life.

The exhibition is an integral part of a survey on the eighties in Italy initiated by the curator Lorenzo Madaro, professor of Contemporary Art History at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan.

For the occasion, a catalog (Dario Cimorelli Publisher) will be published, including the curator's essay, photographs of the works on display, archival materials, and a dense section of biographical, bibliographical, and exhibition scientific apparatuses of the artist written by Simone Melis, assistant curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition is organized with the support of Galleria Mazzoli, Modena.