BORN IN MILAN ON 24TH OF FEBRUARY 1948, DURING HIS YOUTH HE HAS PURSUED THE ARTISTIC

COURSE “GLI ARTEFICI DI BRERA” AT THE BRERA ACADEMY OF MILAN. HE THEN APPROACHED THE WORLD OF ADVERTISING WHERE HE QUICKLY BECAME ART DIRECTOR. HE THEN FOUNDED HIS OWN ADVERTISING AGENCY AND DESIGNED FOR THE “KORES” COMPANY THE METALLIC SEWING MACHINE “KONNA”, WHICH WAS AWARDED WITH THE SILVER MEDAL AT GENEVA’S INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF INVENTIONS AND NEW TECHNIQUES. IN 1977 HE FOUNDED THE “IT INTERNATIONAL TEAM” (LOCATED IN MILAN, NEW YORK AND PARIS), A FIRM SPECIALIZED IN THE CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BOARD GAMES. DURING THIS EXPERIENCE, HE RECEIVED MANY PRIZES AND HONOURS:

- PERMANENT SPOT TO EXPOSE HIS CREATION, FREE GAME, AT THE MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS OF PARIS;

- NOMINEE FOR THE XII GOLDEN COMPASS FOR HIS INNOVATIVE GAME NORGE AND A SPOT TO EXPOSE IT AT THE TRIENNALE OF MILAN, AT THE FAIR OF LEVANTE, AT OSAKA AND BEIJING.

- PRIZE BY THE GERMAN CRITICS FOR THE BEST GAME OF THE YEAR, RA. FROM THE END OF THE 90’S, HIS RESEARCH MOVED TOWARDS WHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIS TRUE PASSION: ART.

EXHIBITIONS

JULY 2007 – LIBRERIA BOCCA, MILANO

FEBRUARY 2008 – GALLERIA BLANCHAERT, MILANO

NOVEMBER 2008 – CAFFE CUCCHI, MILANO

MAY 2012 – CHIESA SANTA MARIA IN CAMPOSANTO, MILANO

THE DUOMO OF MILAN PROJECT

THE DUOMO OF MILAN, THE FOURTH BIGGEST CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN A WORKING FACTORY FOR SIX-HUNDRED YEARS. FOLLOWING THE TRADITION OF SACRAL ART, THE CATHEDRAL DISPLAYS TO THE VISITORS, THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF IMAGES CARVED IN STONE THE STORY OF THE BIBLE. WHAT WE SEE IS SOMETHING HUGE. BUT MUTE. THE DEEPEST MEANING OF MASSIMO PETRINI’S PROJECT IS TO GIVE AGAIN VOICE TO THOSE ROCKS: A ROUTE OF KNOWLEDGE THAT HE REALIZED THROUGH THE EXTRAORDINARY USE OF COLOUR. UNIQUELY THROUGH THE USE OF COLOUR, INFACT, THE HUMAN BODIES CARVED IN THE WHITE MARBLE TAKE THE CONSISTENCY OF FLESH, IF YOU OBSERVE CAREFULLY THE EYES OF THE STATUE ARE REAL HUMAN EYES AND THE CLOTHES TEXTILE REGAINS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE ANCIENT COLOURS. WITH COLOUR, THE HOLINESS OF THE MARBLE BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN THE CONTEMPORARY INDIVIDUAL AND THE STORIES OF THE BIBLE, TO RECREATE A BIDING IN A HIGHER DIMENSION. AND THERE AGAIN: WITH COLOUR THE ORNAMENTS BECOME WINDOWS OF A FREE SPACE, AND BEHIND THEM THERE IS THE SKY AND THAT LIGHT SO LOVED BY THE MASTERS OF GOTHIC.WITHIN MASSIMO PETRINI’S PROJECT ANTIQUITY AND MODERNITY COEXIST, MASSIMO PETRINI USES DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES TO “RENOVATE” STATUES AND FRIEZES, TO SET FREE THE STONE FROM ITS FIXITY AND TO REVEAL WITH THE USE OF COLOUR THE TRANSCENDENCE OF THE NARRATION.

THE TECHNIQUE

EACH SINGLE WORK REPRESENTED ON THE CATHEDRAL’S FAÇADE IS UNDERGONE TO A COMPLEX DIGITAL PROCEDURE. THE FIRST STAGE ENTAILS THE “RECOVERY” OF THE IMAGE, A PROCESS VERY SIMILAR TO A TRADITIONAL RESTORATION. FRIEZE AND STATUES, DEPICTED IN HIGH DEFINITION, OFTEN SHOW THE EFFECTS OF CORROSION, HOWEVER AT TIMES ALSO THE MUTILATION CAUSED BY THE CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS. RECOVER, SOMETIMES, REQUIRES STRONG RENOVATIONS, TO THE POINT OF “DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION” OF THE MISSING PARTS.

THE SECOND STAGE HAS A MORE CREATIVE NATURE: AN ARTISTIC APPROACH OF ELABORATION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE WORKS, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE USE OF COLOUR, TO IMPRESS ON THE SUBJECTS FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, TO CREATE IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES, TO ENLIGHTEN THE OPEN DEPTHS BY FILLING THEM WITH BRIGHT SKIES AND LIGHT.

ALL MASSIMO PETRINI’S WORKS ARE DIGITAL ELABORATIONS OF PICTURES, ACCOMPLISHED WITH A HIGH DEFINITION DIGITAL CAMERA AND PRINTED ON 100% COTTON PAPER, WITH PIGMENTED INKS INTERNATIONALLY CERTIFIED ACCORDING TO THE “FINE ART TRADE GUILD” WHICH ENABLES THEM TO BE EXPOSED IN MUSEUMS.