Life and Exhibitions
Franca Maranò's work dialogues with those of artist friends of the caliber of Luigi Ontani, Tomaso Binga, Maria Lai and Mirella Bentivoglio. There are not a few connoisseurs of that historical period who would have liked to see the artist's work at the last Venice Biennale in the section “Trame e Tessiture” alongside Maria Lai, Lee Mingwei, Huguette Caland and David Meladda. While not offering her this opportunity, history has led Franca Maranò to create something important for the city of Bari, representing the South among the great Italian artists of the last century.
After various pictorial and sculptural experiences, starting from the mid-seventies Franca Maranò (Bari, 1920) revises the terms of her previous researches, driven by the need to operate without any more ties of relevance with the codes of the already done and with the means traditional painting. He therefore makes use of the needle, the thread and the canvas, and continues his work mainly with these new means, out of the need for a creative freedom aimed at recovering meanings that seemed lost. Over time his production acquires a greater human density and, due to a process that has developed from the inside out, his work becomes wearable and assumes, with the realization of the "mental habit", a specific sign of behavioral identity . In addition to these researches, Franca Maranò is interested in sculpture and ceramics, carrying out works - even of large dimensions - on behalf of public institutions and bodies and for private collectors.
In 1970 the artist was one of the founders of Centrosei, the first avant-garde art gallery in Bari, which became the springboard for all his subsequent productions until 1991, the year the gallery was closed. He is the protagonist of numerous personal exhibitions in Rome, Milan, Turin, Pescara, Trieste, Naples, Lecce. There are also numerous participations in regional, national and international group exhibitions including: WIAC in London (1965), International Exhibition of Art Ceramics in Faenza (1965-66), Arte 70 in Puglia (Turin, 1970), Notes on Puglia , Milan (1980), K 18 - Stoffwechsel, Kassel (1982), Textile Texts (Rome-Milan, 1983). He has also participated, with the Centrosei, in various editions of the Bari Art Expo, the Art Fair of Bologna and Art Basel. He died in Bari in 2015. In 2017, the MISIA ARTE gallery hosts the first retrospective dedicated to the artist entitled “ Franca Maranò: the magic of hands. Lines - points - clothes / body ”, with a selection of works produced between the sixties and seventies.
In October 2017, the MISIA gallery from Bari dedicated a retrospective to Franca Maranò.
On the occasion, the Mental Clothes were exhibited and other important works by the artist were presented.
In 1970 the artist was one of the founders of Centrosei, the first avant-garde art gallery in Bari, which became the springboard for all his subsequent productions until 1991, the year the gallery was closed. He is the protagonist of numerous personal exhibitions in Rome, Milan, Turin, Pescara, Trieste, Naples, Lecce. There are also numerous participations in regional, national and international group exhibitions including: WIAC in London (1965), International Exhibition of Art Ceramics in Faenza (1965-66), Arte 70 in Puglia (Turin, 1970), Notes on Puglia , Milan (1980), K 18 - Stoffwechsel, Kassel (1982), Textile Texts (Rome-Milan, 1983). He has also participated, with the Centrosei, in various editions of the Bari Art Expo, the Art Fair of Bologna and Art Basel. He died in Bari in 2015. In 2017, the MISIA ARTE gallery hosts the first retrospective dedicated to the artist entitled “ Franca Maranò: the magic of hands. Lines - points - clothes / body ”, with a selection of works produced between the sixties and seventies.
Personal Exhibitions
1988 Visual Arts Laboratory, Foggia
1985 Centrosei, Bari
1985 Studio '95, Naples
1983 Centrosei, Bari
1983 Tommaseo Gallery, Trieste
1981 Expo Arte, Bari
1981 Centrosei, Bari
1980 Unde Gallery, Turin
1979 Centrosei, Bari
1978 Cultural Experience Gallery, Pescara
1978 Expo Arte, Bari
1977 Centrosei, Bari
1976 La Piazzetta Gallery, Rome
1976 Centrosei, Bari
1975 Centrosei, Bari
1974 Centrosei, Bari
1972 Galleria SM, Rome
1971 Triade Gallery, Turin
1971 Centrosei, Bari
1969 La Cornice Gallery, Bari
1969 Galleria Pater, Milan
1964 Galleria Numero, Rome
Personal Exhibitions
1988 Visual Arts Laboratory, Foggia
1985 Centrosei, Bari
1985 Studio '95, Naples
1983 Centrosei, Bari
1983 Tommaseo Gallery, Trieste
1981 Expo Arte, Bari
1981 Centrosei, Bari
1980 Unde Gallery, Turin
1979 Centrosei, Bari
1978 Cultural Experience Gallery, Pescara
1978 Expo Arte, Bari
1977 Centrosei, Bari
1976 La Piazzetta Gallery, Rome
1976 Centrosei, Bari
1975 Centrosei, Bari
1974 Centrosei, Bari
1972 Galleria SM, Rome
1971 Triade Gallery, Turin
1971 Centrosei, Bari
1969 La Cornice Gallery, Bari
1969 Galleria Pater, Milan
1964 Galleria Numero, Rome
1993 Donna Arte, Luci di Luna, Molfetta / Lecce
1990 Maestrale , Department of Culture of the Municipality, Bari
1990 The Disquieting Muses , Civic Museum, Rende
1 988 The Song of the Sirens , Civic Gallery of Contemporary Art, Taranto
1 988 Biennial of Women , Grand Palais, Paris
1 988 Peintures à la Broche , Artoteca Aliance, Bari
1 986 1980s , Provincial Art Gallery, Bari
1 986 DonneInArte , Municipality of Bari, Bari
1 985 Art 16'85 , Art Basel, Basel
1984 Art in Puglia, FATA, Triggiano
1 984 Art 15'84 , Art Basel, Basel
1983 41 Presences , Italian Association of Contemporary Art Galleries
1983 Textile Texts , Rome and Milan
1982 Morbide & Trame , Civic Art Gallery, Ascoli Piceno
1982 Stoffwechsel K18, GHKassel
1 981 Art 12'81 , Art Basel, Basel
1980 Notes on Puglia , Brera International Center, Milan
1979 Seven critics for seven artists , Loggia dei Ruccellai, Florence [Italo Mussa for Franca Maranò]
1977 Sign / Identity , Provincial Art Gallery, Ravenna
1974 Total Art [intervention in the square], Martina Franca
1966 International Exhibition of Art Ceramics of Faenza , Faenza
1965 International Exhibition of Art Ceramics of Faenza , Faenza
1965 WIAC , International Art, London
Participant of the exhibition of the Termoli National Painting Award in the years 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971.
