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Galleria Continia presents Armando Testa. Cucù-Tetè, a retrospective exhibition of the Italian designer and cartoonist Armando Testa (1917 – 1992), on view from November 21, 2025 – May 3, 2026, at Palazzo Delle Papesse, Siena. The art exhibition is curated by Valentino Catricalà and Gemma De Angelis Testa, and produced by Opera Laboratori in conjunction with Galleria Continua and Testa per Testa.
The exhibition takes its playful title from the sense of surprise that defines Testa’s work. “You look at [Armando] Testa’s work, and you think you’ve understood it, then you suddenly realise there’s more to it, an unexpected twist, a meaning turned inside out. That’s the mark of his work, a revolution that becomes amazement,” explains the curator De Angelis Testa in an official release.
Bringing together over 200 works—including posters, paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs and audiovisual materials—the show offers a comprehensive portrait of Testa’s creative universe. A strong emphasis is placed on his pioneering audiovisual language, with vintage cathode ray televisions displaying historical commercials and footage that restore the immersive, multisensory impact of his practice. “Testa’s intuitive communication was often the product of a creative process which took its cue from art in order to transform it into a universal language capable of speaking to all and sundry. Testa reinvented visual communication, turning viewing into a thoroughly engaging experience. In fact, it is no mere coincidence that Gillo Dorfles called him a ‘global visualiser’,” reads the official press release.
Visitors are welcomed on the ground floor by Pippo, the iconic blue hippopotamus created for Lines, a symbol of Testa’s enduring presence in popular culture. The first floor presents a ‘visual comfort zone’ featuring celebrated works such as the poster for Punt e Mes (1960), Gotto (Tumbler) (1952) and Il brindisi dei due re (The Two Kings Raising a Toast) (1949) for Carpano, as well as campaigns for Borsalino and graphics for the 1960 Rome Olympics.
A highlight of the exhibition is the immersive ‘niche’ on the second floor, entirely covered with over 400 drawings that reconstruct the artist’s creative flow. Equally striking is the presentation of Lampadina Limone (Lemon Light Bulb) (1968), displayed in a darkened vault, where a single illuminated object becomes a metaphor for intuition and invention.
Armando Testa. Cucù-Tetè continues by examining the dialogue between art, industry and technology in Testa’s work, showcasing rare preparatory drawings and projects that translate the transformations of postwar Italy into a bold visual language. “The retrospective goes on to devote abundant room to painting, Testa’s first love and his space of absolute freedom—freedom from client pressure—in which we discover an echo of American abstract art and of naturalism. The section also hosts a number of previously unpublished posters that reveal the artistic depth of his visual style,” notes the press release.
Further sections explore Testa’s narrative creations, including Caballero and Carmencita, and the visionary Pianeta Papalla, reconstructed at scale to envelop visitors in one of his most imaginative worlds. The exhibition concludes with the documentary Povero ma moderno (2009) by Pappi Corsicato, awarded at the Venice Film Festival, offering a final reflection on Testa’s legacy.
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