Costantino Nivola fled Italy in 1937 and relocated to the United States, where he lived until he died. The opening of the Olivetti Showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York in 1954 marked both the affirmation of the “Italian style” in the United States and Nivola’s recognition as a sculptor. The monumental bas-relief dominating the space – crafted using the unique sand-casting technique developed by the artist while playing with his children on Long Island beaches – drew inspiration from prehistoric Sardinian figurines, the island’s traditional carnival masks, and the New York School’s interpretation of totemic Native American cultures. Integrating seamlessly with the architectural elements designed by the Milan studio BBPR, the bas-relief, now at Harvard University’s Science Center, emanates a timeless Mediterranean aura. This maquette, which Nivola also exhibited as an autonomous work of art, possesses an unsettling quality: the spiky chest and the black-masked face evoke both humour and menace.
—Antonella Camarda
