In 1989 – the same year Chen Qiuchi was involved in the Tiananmen Square protest – the Municipality of Milan decided to remove Alberto Burri’s “Teatro Continuo” due to its deteriorated condition. The sculpture-installation environmental-scenic machine was created by the artist in 1973 for the XV Triennale. Upon learning about the dismantling news, Burri expressed his disappointment and announced that he would never exhibit in Milan again. In 2008, following the retrospective exhibition on Burri hosted at the Triennale, the desire to give new life to the artwork and reconstruct the “Teatro Continuo” was ignited. The proposal originates from the Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini Collezione Burri and NCTM Studio Legale associato and is supported by the Municipality of Milan and the Triennale.
“At the origin of the desire to return this extraordinary artwork to the city, there is a conversation that took place about four years ago. The conversation revolved around the role of art in a city and the responsibilities that each individual has in this regard. The belief among all of us was that art is important and can have an impact in terms of citizenship and quality of life. During that occasion, the memory of Burri’s Theater had emerged, an artwork that carried an extraordinary sense of openness and sociability. The desire to recover the “Teatro Continuo” was born from these shared memories.“
Gabi Scardi, curator of the project.
