Pino Biggi. The Aprons of Mary – Exhibition at Chiesa della Spina (Pisa)

Until 21 June 2026, the Chiesa della Spina hosts the exhibition “Pino Biggi. The Aprons of Mary”, curated by Paola Marini. The show features 14 paintings arranged to interact with the Gothic interior, creating a dialogue between contemporary art and historic heritage.

Admission is free. The program also includes three dramatized readings of the artist’s unpublished stories.

Practical information

• Venue: Chiesa della Spina, Pisa
• Exhibition dates: 12 May – 21 June 2026
• Opening hours:
  • Wednesday - Friday: 16:00 - 19:00
  • Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 - 13:00 and 16:00 - 19:00
  • Also open morning and afternoon on Monday 1, Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 17 June
• Admission: free

Reading events

The exhibition is accompanied by three dramatized readings organized by the theatre company of the association “Il gabbiano”, with readings by Daniela Bertini:

• Sunday 17 May 2026, 18:00 - 19:00
• Saturday 6 June 2026, 18:00 - 19:00
• Saturday 20 June 2026, 18:00 - 19:00

The project and the artist

Curated by Paola Marini, the exhibition explores a subject Biggi developed in the 1990s: the depiction of the lower half of seated Madonnas, which the artist defined as “the aprons of Mary”. The works stand out for vivid colorism and formal echoes of classical masters, and are displayed to resonate with the church’s architecture.

Pino Biggi (Fossola di Carrara, 7 April 1930 – Arena Metato, 11 June 2019) was a painter, poet, writer and sculptor active between 1950 and 2015. This Pisa exhibition is part of a renewed interest in his extensive pictorial output.

Check the visiting hours before attending and note the dates of the readings for specific events.