Pietro Grandi, Artificio, 2021

Pietro Grandi composes an extraordinary book, both for its aesthetics and graphics, a form with attention to detail where text and images inhabit a harmonious page, and for its subject matter: fireworks, their history and artistic beauty. As they are defined here, theatrical scenes in motion, fireworks, whose origin dates back to thirteenth century China, have been symbols of power winning wars as well as entertainment for admiring crowds. The color red is the undisputed chromatic protagonist of these pages, from the illustrations, articulated in architectural details, gilded and white. The afterword, a critical essay of academic scientificity, is by Simon Werrett, Professor of History of Science at UCL, University College of London. The book is also composed of an extensive iconographic apparatus that indicates precisely the various types of fireworks. Published by Marinoni Books.