The Pecci Center rediscovers “Prato 88” by Mauro Staccioli and announces its updated corporate identity

At the Luigi Pecci Contemporary Art Center, preparations began at the end of April for the reinstallation of Prato 88, the monumental sculpture created by Mauro Staccioli in 1988. The work was donated by Elda Franchi Pecci in memory of her husband, Cavaliere Enrico Pecci, on the occasion of the museum’s opening.
This intervention marks a symbolic and identity-defining moment for the city and the Pecci Center, which regains one of its most beloved visual emblems, temporarily absent from the urban landscape for nearly a decade.

The piece—a steel structure coated in cement, securely anchored to an underground plinth—was removed during the museum’s expansion work completed in 2016, designed by Dutch architect Maurice Nio. Today, it is being reinstalled in a renewed position, just a few meters from its original site, to comply with current safety regulations and urban transformations of the area, while maintaining its function as a “presence that welcomes and greets” those crossing Viale della Repubblica.

The new orientation—diagonal to the museum’s entrance—was defined through careful collaborative work between the Pecci Center and the Mauro Staccioli Archive, respecting both the artist’s intentions and the current architectural context. The project was made possible through the synergy between the Municipality of Prato and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato. The Municipality allocated 220,000 euros for the restoration and repositioning of the work, while the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation contributed 19,000 euros for the design. The work is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025.

To mark this restoration, the Pecci Center is launching its new website and corporate identity, part of a broader process of renewing the institution’s visual and digital identity. The website has been completely redesigned to offer a more immediate, accessible, and immersive browsing experience, reflecting the Pecci Center’s central role in the landscape of Italian and international contemporary art. The website also aligns with PNRR programs aimed at removing physical and sensory barriers.

With the return of Prato 88 to the urban landscape and the unveiling of the new digital face, the Pecci Center reaffirms its rootedness in the city and its mission to interpret the present through art.