Franco Rocco
Franco Rocco, experienced architect, innovative designer and puzzle maker faced a challenge of Leonardo da Vinci’s chess pieces after decades of creative work. Beside designing and directing numerous projects in civic architecture as well as restorations and reconstructions both in Italy and abroad, he created diverse achievements such as Scattomatto in 1978, Damadiamante in 1981 and Immaginario Lunare in 1983 (each produced in a limited edition of one thousand signed pieces).
In 1992, on the occasion of the celebration of Columbus's discovery, he created the work La Via Di Colombo [Columbus' Route], which was exhibited at the pavilion of the Region of Liguria during the international exhibition, Cristoforo Colombo la Naveed il Mare [Christopher Columbus, the Ship, and the Sea] and also in New York at the exhibition of the I.C.E., The Discovery of Italy. In August 1993, he held a solo exhibition in Urbino, presented by Paolo Dal Poggetto, director of Urbino's Commissione per I Beni Culturali, and in 1994 he created the work Research Pathway for AGIP. In 1996 at the headquarters of the Centro Nazionale Studi Leopardiani in Recanati he illustrated a project for a sculpture entitled Una Forma Per La Parola [A Form for a Word] in honor of Leopardi's thought.
Since April 2007 he has been devoting himself to the study of the form of chess pieces depicted in a manuscript by Luca Pacioli. In the meantime he has received many letters of support, such as from President of Italy, mr. Giorgio Napolitano or the one from Coronini Cronberg Onlus Foundation that allows him to promote and study the manuscript.
* letter of support from Italian president
* letter of Coronini Cronberg Foundation
some of his recent works :
* The Way of Columbus is presented as a hollow sphere resting on a square base with a concave depression at its centre. The sphere has a diameter of 16 cm. It is divided into eight sectors joined by turned brass, dye-cast pins and pivots. A unique sequence of 12 movements allows the sphere to be opened to start its dismantlement into its 37 constituent parts.
* Scaccomatto is a sculpture, a puzzle, and a chess set. Two brass cubes, one chrome plated, are by themselves a sleek and elegant sculpture. Yet, each cube is also a complex puzzle of interlocking elements that will disassemble into 16 chessmen. Each cube weighs 7 lbs and measures 3" x 3" x 3".
