Aldo Locatelli: the trajectory of the Italian artist featured at CASACOR RS 2026

The history of art in Rio Grande do Sul inevitably passes through the monumental works of Aldo Locatelli. Born in Italy, the painter built a career in Brazil marked by large murals, religious themes, historical figures and a deep connection with gaucho culture. Decades after his death in 1962, his legacy remains present in public spaces and institutions across the state — and gains new perspectives at CASACOR Rio Grande do Sul 2026.

(Divulgação/CASACOR)

In the current edition of the show, Locatelli inspires the Il Mago Dei Colori project, by Karen Berta Arquitetura and Mari Fogliato Studio de Arquitetura, while one of his most emblematic works, A Conquista do Espaço, holds a place of honor in the entrance hall.

Who was Aldo Locatelli?

Aldo Daniele Locatelli was born in 1915 in Villa d'Almè, in the Italian province of Bergamo. From an early age, he was drawn to the arts and received an academic training linked to the Italian painting tradition, especially the Renaissance.

(Divulgação/CASACOR)

Throughout his career, he developed a language marked by monumentality, mastery of drawing and the narrative strength of his compositions.

(Divulgação/CASACOR)

His Italian production already included works in churches and restoration projects. It was, however, the move to Brazil that definitively transformed his path.

Arrival in Brazil

Locatelli arrived in Brazil in 1948, coming to Rio Grande do Sul to work on the murals of the Cathedral of São Francisco de Paula, in Pelotas. The commission was attributed to an invitation from the then bishop of the city, Dom Antônio Zattera, although there are different versions of how the artist was called for the project.

(Divulgação/CASACOR)

The initial idea was to stay in the country only during the completion of the work. Contact with the city, however, changed his plans. Locatelli integrated into the community, brought his wife, Mercedes, to Brazil and began incorporating local references into his own production. In 1954, he moved permanently to Porto Alegre and became a naturalized Brazilian citizen.

From then on, his presence spread throughout the state. Among his best-known works are the murals of Palácio Piratini and the paintings of the Church of São Pelegrino, in Caxias do Sul, in addition to paintings in different gaucho cities.

A Conquista do Espaço

Commissioned in 1950 and inaugurated in 1953, A Conquista do Espaço was designed for the former Salgado Filho Airport, in Porto Alegre. With about 50 m², the work represents the history of aviation and the human desire to master the skies.

The panel brings together different references to humanity's journey toward flight. Among them are Leonardo da Vinci, remembered for his studies and designs of flying machines, and Santos Dumont, a fundamental figure in the history of Brazilian aviation.

A Conquista do Espaço (CASACOR)

Elements such as birds, propellers and engines also appear in the composition, creating a visual narrative about invention, knowledge and technological achievement.

More than representing a technological evolution, the painting conveys an imaginary of its time: the enthusiasm for the possibilities opened by science and by the human capacity to surpass limits. The very title synthesizes this idea of movement, discovery and transformation.

Aldo Locatelli at CASACOR Rio Grande do Sul

The presence of A Conquista do Espaço at CASACOR Rio Grande do Sul 2026 brings together heritage, art and architecture within the same space. The panel, which is part of the memory of the former airport terminal, also becomes a starting point for a contemporary interpretation of Locatelli's work.

It is precisely this permanence that explains the choice of the artist as inspiration for the Il Mago Dei Colori project. The nickname, associated with the chromatic power of his painting, translates a fundamental characteristic of his production: the ability to use color, scale and narrative to transform entire projects.

Karen Berta Arquitetura e Mari Fogliato Studio de Arquitetura - Il Mago Dei Colori. Projeto da CASACOR Rio Grande do Sul 2026. (Cristiano Bauce/CASACOR)

Upon entering the exhibition and finding his work highlighted, visitors do not merely contemplate a historic panel. They also encounter a fragment of the cultural history of Rio Grande do Sul, and the opportunity to perceive how a work created more than seven decades ago can still dialogue with architecture, design and the contemporary ways of occupying a space.

This text was developed with the assistance of CASACOR Publisher, an exclusive content agent developed by CASACOR's Technology team based on the knowledge base of casacor.com.br. The generated content was subsequently edited by Yeska Coelho.