Between 1970 and 1972, Mauri made a series of horizontal-format collages based on a layout characterised by two black bands along the top and bottom edges, with bands transversing the composition through windows reminiscent of movie film frames. Many works in this series employ opal transparent paper to screen the underlying collage, plus side bands with rounded corners similar to ‘barn doors’ on spotlights. As specified in the titles, the collages refer to historical and private events: Bombardamento di Bologna, Affondamento dell’U.BOOT, Scomparsa di Pontecorvo da Bologna, Vita di Lulu de la Falaise, and Stanza dei conti (inv. 201, 206, 207, 243, 1127, 1132).
This work has a bipartite structure in which a photograph of the performance Che cosa è il fascismo (inv. 3474) – staged that year at the Safa Palatino film studios – and RAI data sheets for use of sound equipment printed in blueprint on opaline paper can be made out. An unopened white envelope pokes out between two black bands in the middle of the composition.