Porta Futurista is the first exhibition in Italy of the anonymous collective Pomme de Boue. The exhibition, curated by Eleonora Savorelli, is organised and produced by marte in co-participation with the Comune di Ravenna – Istituzione MAR Museo d’Arte della città di Ravenna and in collaboration with Molino Spadoni.

Formed in 2018 and originally from Ukraine, Pomme de Boue was born experimenting with street art in the urban fabric of Kiev, coexisting with mosaics dating back to the Soviet era and contemporary graffiti. It delves into mosaic research through the study of the early 20th century avant-garde and the brutalism of the 1950s. The collective’s research lies between art and architecture, towards overcoming two-dimensionality. Avoiding rigid geometries, Pomme de Boue creates juxtapositions of shapes and colours with spontaneous and surprising aesthetics.

The venue chosen for the exhibition of the collective’s most recent new works is the ground floor of Molino Lovatelli, an important example of industrial archaeology in Ravenna, which becomes an integral part of the installation project. Documented since 1237, it was the most important mill in the city, located just outside the ancient walls, near Porta San Mamante.

This year,” says Fabio Sbaraglia, councillor for culture of the Municipality of Ravenna, “the Biennale of Contemporary Mosaics will bring with it the opportunity to discover and enjoy places that are usually difficult to access. The exhibition curated by the marte association will certainly be an extraordinary opportunity to take part in an unprecedented dialogue between the mosaics of the Pomme de Boue collective and an ancient and fascinating architecture such as the Molino Lovatelli, which, thanks to the generous participation of Molino Spadoni in the project, will not only be the venue of this event, but will also be open and usable to the public for the entire duration of the Biennial. 

Ph: Francesca Melandri, Eleonora Savorelli