EARTH Foundation presents a new exhibition focused around the Italian book and film character the accountant Ugo Fantozzi. The exhibition titled FANTOZZI!!! An incredible exhibition will be visitable in the Grand Tour Italia exhibition spaces in Bologna. The exhibition, curated by Luca Bochicchio, professor of history of contemporary art at the University of Verona, and Guido Andrea Pautasso, academic of 20th century art and cultural avantguard, is open to the public with free entry from Thursday October 16th 2025 to Sunday March 29th 2026.
The exhibition project, the first and only in its genre, traces the journey of the accountant Ugo Fantozzi, considered the last mask of Italian comedy after the genius Totò. The social-pop anti-heroe owes his existence to Paolo Villaggio and is the main character of the book Fantozzi published in 1971. He then appeared, 4 years later, on camera for 11 films that made history.
“Fantozzi!!! An incredible exhibition” recreates Fantozzi’s origins through documents and original images, in an itinerary that shows books and over one hundred historical cinematographic posters and billboards, lobby cards, comic books, records and tapes, all coming from the personal collection of Guido Andrea Pautasso.
Inside the exhibition you can also admire a projection of the film “Battleship Potëmkin” from the Russian master Sergej M. Ėjzenštejn (1925), a film from which one of the most famous jokes of the accountant is based off of.
During the time of the exposition a series of events created for the public will be presented. Among these there will be evening insights, dedicated book presentations on the subject and also our activity offer especially tailored for schools of all levels. The first event on calendar will be the inauguration on Thursday October 16th at 7pm accompanied by a meeting with the curators Luca Bochicchio and Guido Andrea Pautasso opened to all our visitors.
The exhibition comes along with the publication of the book “FANTOZZI!!! An Italian legend”, released by Edizioni E.ART.H. The book contains themed essays written by the curators and Alessio Lasta, Marco Senaldi, Irene Stucchi and Sara Tongiani.
