• Journal of architectural history
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.67-86
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• 2008

Main theme of this paper is the evaluation of the historical significance of Luciano Baldessari's exhibition works mainly during the Fifties. In order to understand the formal and logical basis of those project, his relationship with the historical Avant-gardes and the consequences expressed in his pavilion projects for the Breda Industrial Company are analyzed. The first part focuses on the influence of Italian Futurism, German Expressionism and Italian Rationalism on the formation and experience of Baldessari during the interwar years. The encounter with these movements determine the interest but also the principles along which Baldessari represents his idea of object, space and place. Specially his professional activities during Fascism would determine his attitude toward political power and the necessity of autonomy in artistic sphere. In the second part, different themes that Baldessari affronted in each project of Breda Pavilions is analyzed. Another important issue regard the historiography of the contemporary architecture. Often, many important works that lies in the threshold of the disciplines such as painting and sculpture and media art were excluded in the history of architecture just because they do not deal with the architectural object. Recently, many elements such as theatrical project and temporary objects are considered as part of urban reality and architecture with acknowledgment of their capacity to create event and situations. Along this thought, not just the reconfiguration on the territory of architecture in present but also the criterion to evaluate the past history of architecture is changing drastically. This study on the pavilions of Baldessari intends to contribute indirectly on the current issue of dominion of architecture, but also to evaluate objectively recent architecture. Consequently, architectural protagonists such as Baldessari and their ephemeral projects would be evaluated compressively in their multiplicity of significance.