Artwork - VASCA DA BAGNO SU RUOTE - 2011

Bathtub transformed into an installation mounted on a cart with wheels and a front handlebar. A daily household object is reinterpreted as a symbolic vehicle, suspended between functional living space and automotive imagination. The work is non-functional and designed solely for exhibition purposes.

Museum context and 'Follia' exhibition
Created in 2011 on the occasion of the reopening of the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, the work was part of the immersive environment Follia until 2025: an imaginary domestic space where the car became an obsession, a daily companion, an object of affection and playful veneration. This installation, along with the others that made up the exhibit, helped mark a crucial phase in the museum's evolution, significantly impacting visitors' experience. Through an ironic, visionary, and experimental language, Follia offered a reading of the automobile not only as an industrial product but as a cultural symbol, a dream, and an emotional object.
The artist
The work was created by Mimmo Laganà, a sculptor and painter known for his work with reclaimed materials and automotive components. Born in 1943 in the province of Reggio Calabria, Laganà trained in scenography, sculpture, and the restoration of historic vehicles before settling in Turin, the heart of Italian automotive culture. His artistic journey, which began in the 1960s, combines contemporary art and creative reuse, with an ironic and poetic language that explores the emotional relationship between people and machines.
Charitable purpose of the sale
Proceeds from the sale of this work will be allocated to charity initiatives, with the aim of ensuring access to the Museum, its cultural and educational activities, and training opportunities for populations most exposed to conditions of fragility, thereby strengthening the social and inclusive role of the institution.
The Museum and the collection
Founded in 1933 by Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, the National Automobile Museum houses one of the most important car collections internationally. Today, the Museum preserves over 200 original vehicles from about 80 different brands, illustrating the historical evolution of the automobile: from late 19th-century steam carriages to 1950s design masterpieces, from protagonists of epic races and memorable journeys to prototypes that anticipate future trends in research and innovation.