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EspañolMuseo Igor Mitoraj
The Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj made Pietrasanta his home and workshop, and the civic museum that carries his name gathers sixty-nine of his works, given by his heir, inside a converted municipal market: bandaged marble heads and monumental bronzes alongside the artist's presence in Pietrasanta's public art.
Why it matters
Mitoraj chose Pietrasanta as his place of life and work, and is buried in the town. The museum, run by the Fondazione Museo Mitoraj, grew from the donation of sixty-nine works by Jean-Paul Sabatié, the artist's heir and president of the foundation. Converting the former municipal market in Via Oberdan into galleries, with a project by the architects of OBR under the direction of architect Frank Boehm, gave the town a large, modern exhibition space for a single, unmistakable body of work: classical bodies, fractured and wrapped, in marble, bronze and resin.
What to notice
The former market hall provides an industrial setting for Mitoraj's fragmentary, classical figures. Among the works is Bocca della rocca bianca, a head carved in white Apuan marble in 1985. Mitoraj worked in marble, bronze and resin; the display also includes jewellery-scale pieces that show how his imagery scaled down without losing its character. The collection's core was donated by Jean-Paul Sabatié, the artist's heir and president of the foundation that runs the museum.
Public sculptures including the Centauro and Annunciazione extend the artist's presence into Pietrasanta's streets and squares.
Context and history
Mitoraj's career belongs to the broader story of Pietrasanta as a magnet for international sculptors, drawn by the marble yards, bronze foundries and enlarging studios whose working models are preserved next door in the Museo dei Bozzetti. The museum's foundation bears the artist's name and is led by his heir, and the inaugural exhibition, titled Mitoraj. Present., marked the opening of the converted market. The museum presents his workshop practice alongside the town's older monumental tradition.