More than thirty years after the death of the sculptor Renato Vanzelli, the Civic Museums of Padua dedicate a retrospective to the artist that traces his entire creative journey.
The exhibition, hosted at Palazzo Zuckermann from November 29, 2025 to March 1, 2026, was made possible thanks to the contribution of the Padua and Rovigo Savings Bank Foundation and the sponsorship of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padua.
The exhibition, held at the Museum of Applied Arts, showcases the famous bronze sculptures with which Vanzelli participated since the 1950s in significant events such as the Triveneto Art Biennial, the International Bronze Prize, and the Gubbio Metal Biennial.
Alongside the most well-known works, the exhibition highlights for the first time a less-known body of work created by the sculptor between the 1950s and 1960s, a period when Vanzelli was still closely connected to the “Pietro Selvatico” Art Institute in Padua, where he trained and taught engraving and repousse.
The exhibition is completed by works from the 1980s and 1990s, during which the sculptor gradually abandoned bronze to devote himself to “poor” materials such as wood, lead, silver, and wax, giving rise to a new cycle of wall works still based on three-dimensionality and geometric rigor.
Accompanying the retrospective is a documentary film by Pierantonio Tanzola that reconstructs the artistic and human story of the author, offering the public an additional and unprecedented tool for in-depth exploration.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on Friday, November 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM at Palazzo Zuckermann.
Information
“Renato Vanzelli (1932 – 1993) Artist’s Studio”
Palazzo Zuckermann, Corso Garibaldi 33, Padua
November 29, 2025 – March 1, 2026
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 AM – 7 PM
Free admission