THE DIFFERENT HOUSE

CASA MUSEO REMO BRINDISIINTERVIEW BY FRANCESCO PIZZORUSSO

The journey to the Remo Brindisi House Museum begins in Ravenna, on bus no. 333, which crosses the flat and quiet countryside of lower Romagna. The road winds through bramble fields and isolated farmhouses, occasionally interrupted by rows of trees swaying in the winter wind. The bus stops follow one another slowly, and it’s difficult to determine exactly where the sea they only be. Near a deserted square, get off in small, semi-deserted towns where trees seem to sit in flower-studded still.

Arriving at Lido di Spina, the feeling of suspension is even greater. It is a holiday territory, a place that comes alive in the summer but appears empty the rest of the time. Houses line the shore and shut, the streets are empty, there’s the sound of the sea in the distance and the wind rustling through the pine forests break the silence. I decided to go to the beach, where the scene is still enlivened by the beach establishments once clearly here, umbrellas are collapsed, and deckchairs neatly stacked in anticipation of the new season. As water levels are always rising season by season, the menacing fences and rampions always faded by the sun and sea. The only people present are working on the beach or setting up the small summer playgrounds for the children, while along the coast the sand has been gathered in small lumps, ready to be evened out by mechanical rakes.

After this stroll through the dunes and closed structures, I make my way to the Remo Brindisi House Museum. The building stands out from the rest of the buildings in the area, its modernist lines breaking the flow of time and the landscape: an artistic, biographical, architectural and domestic collage. Immediately, it rings a vital tone of the moments the stories of life lived in the house. It was here that Remo Brindisi developed the system of lower Romagna’s seaside resorts to house naturalized leisure in a collective dimension. Director Laura Ruffoni. This is where the interview begins with Laura Ruffoni, the Director of the Remo Brindisi House museum, who has worked for the institution for over twenty years.

FRANCESCO PIZZORUSSO: In recent years, the house museum has gained more and more recognition. However, it has a long and complex history. Could you outline the evolution of the institution from its beginnings to the present day?

LAURA RUFFONI: The house museum was inaugurated in 1973 and remained an active cultural institution until the death of Remo Brindisi in 1996. After his death, the museum was closed for a long time due to inheritance problems and subsequent cases of theft of some works, which were later recovered. In 1999, the Municipality took over management of the site and, with the advice of Nanda Vigo, began an extensive restoration. Particular attention was paid to the conservation of the structure, with interventions ensuring conservative measures such as an external cover wall to protect the integrity of the original tall body. The museum reopened in 2004, initially with the collection on display. From then on, a major effort was made to sort, conserve, and reattribute the works to the display. In addition, the ongoing work of cataloguing is focused on verifying the attributions of the works, with the help and collaboration of the various artists’ foundations and art historians. This process is providing valuable insights into the dynamics of the art market at the time and Brindisi’s role as a collector.

The current display is not Brindisi’s original arrangement. However, from what I’ve read, he never kept a fixed layout either, correct?

Exactly. Brindisi frequently modified the display. When Nanda Vigo came to photograph the interiors, she would always say: “This lighting’s wrong, lighten it up, it’s free the architecture...” They were interested in more than balance: in the central nucleus, he wanted to make the structure more legible, while the artworks have been arranged thematically to facilitate the reading of different artistic movements. However, some rooms, such as the one with the boisere by Emilio Isgrò and Wanda Vigo’s mirrored furnishings, have remained practically unchanged. (Editor’s note: in the same room are hard to notice works by Christo and Andy Warhol, discreetly placed behind a curtain.)

Unlike many house museums, this one was conceived by Brindisi himself during his lifetime. How does this shape his identity and influence daily life in the house? And what role did his deep connection with the sea play in his decision to build it here?

Most house museums are erected posthumously, often as a tribute. Brindisi, however, envisioned this space as a living museum, not a monument to himself. He wanted to showcase contemporary art, not his personal legacy. His works hung alongside those of other artists, and every room — even private ones — was infused with art. For him, living in a museum meant keeping art alive, ensuring that art remained an active presence rather than a historical relic. He frequently invited guests, scholars and fellow artists, creating an atmosphere of constant cultural exchange. The house was not just a static exhibition space, but a vibrant environment where art, conversation and social life coexisted. The summer months were particularly lively, when friends and family gathered for long meals, discussions and impromptu artistic collaborations.His love of the sea was fundamental to his choice of location. He often spoke of how this coastline reminded him of his childhood in Abruzzo, where the Adriatic Sea was an ever-present backdrop to his formative years. For Brindisi, the sea was both a source of inspiration and refuge — a place of contemplation and renewal. His studio was deliberately positioned to face the water, allowing him to paint while immersed in its changing colours and rhythms. Even in his later work, the fluidity and vastness of the sea remained a recurring motif, reflecting the deep connection he felt with the landscape.

Brindisi was deeply involved in the artistic and intellectual circles of his time. Milan in those years was a lively city with an artistic point of view. One thinks of the Bar Jamaica, where many artists, writers, and designers used to meet. Was he part of this circle of intellectuals? How did his connections influence his work and his vision of the house/museum?

Brindisi was well established in the art scene and had relationships with many prominent figures of his time. He did not frequent the Jamaica Bar, but Nanda Vigo did. The Jamaica Bar in Milan was an important cultural hub where many artists, designers, and critics gathered, including Nanda Vigo, who was part of this intellectual milieu. There you saw personalities such as Umberto Eco, Lucio Fontana, and Salvatore Quasimodo (a friend of Remo Brindisi) frequented the bar. For sure his interactions with artists, designers, and critics reinforced his belief in an interdisciplinary approach to art, integrating different forms of expression into everyday life. This philosophy is evident in his collection, where works from different movements coexist in an organic dialogue.

Brindisi also had a fascinating friendship with Marcello Mastroianni. Could you tell us more about their relationship?

They met in the military engineering corps during the war and managed to escape together to the Venice by forging leave permits. There they lived in hiding until liberation. Mastroianni described Brindisi in his memoirs as “mad as a hatter, but immensely talented.” Their bond lasted well beyond those difficult years, and they remained close friends even after they both became famous.

Another fundamental aspect of Brindisi’s work was his strong anti-fascist beliefs, which is reflected in a famous series of his paintings. Could you tell us more about the themes he explores in his art?

Brindisi’s anti-fascist works are among the most powerful in his collection. His paintings often depict distorted, tormented faces that embody the horrors of war and the violence of totalitarian regimes. In contrast to the celebratory depictions of the Resistance, his approach was more introspective, confronting the viewer with the brutality of history rather than glorifying acts of heroism. One of his largest and most impressive works, a depiction of the March on Rome, is currently in the Palazzo della Farnesina – Ministry of the Interior.

What does the future hold for this museum?

Further restoration, increased visibility and the preservation of Brindisi’s vision - where art is not separate from life, but an integral part of it. We are working to increase visitor engagement, expand our educational outreach and develop new exhibition strategies that will continue to position this museum as a reference point for those interested in 20th century Italian art. It’s inspiring when a place is an extension and transcendence of the artist, echoing connections between art and broader aspects of life. The distinction between them is often artificial, what truly matters is the vision that brings them together.