When it comes to 20th century Italian painting, the work of Lucio Fontana instantly springs to mind. But there’s a slew of influential artists, who spun out non-figurative work far earlier, with some even predating Kandinsky, to take note of. To elucidate this band of then-revolutionary painters, noted scholar and dealer Gian Enzo Sperone has curated ‘Painting in Italy 1910s-1950s: Futurism, Abstraction, Concrete Art’, which opened in New York last week. The Sperone Westwater exhibition features more than 100 abstract examples by artists working before, during and after World War II, with some even painting under the country's repressive Fascist regime.
Above all, they turned away from figurative traditions and explored a new visual vocabulary based overwhelmingly on geometric forms, sharp planes and a primary palette. The especially pioneering painters, Sperone points out, includes Giacomo Balla. ‘Take Balla’s Compenetrazione Iridescente (Study for Iridescent Interpretation) which he painted in 1912, as its totally non-figurative, his approach is truly ahead of his time,’ he says.
Sante Monachesi’s 1937 Alluminio a luce mobile, which translates as 'light mobile aluminum', are actually two relief panels. ‘His raised surfaces are truly revolutionary for their time and predate Lucio Fontana,’ says Sperone. Other examples include Alberto Magnelli's trailblazing 1937 'Peinture 336', in which the artist scraped away portions of paints to enhance the texture. 'Magnelli to some degree led the way for Burri,’ Sperone comments.
The revolutionary works are made even more striking by the gallery's Norman Foster-designed building
The exhibition presents how these pioneering artists turned away from figurative traditions and explored a new visual vocabulary based on geometric forms, sharp planes and a primary palette
It also traces the complex, and often fraught, relationship between art and politics in Italy during the pre-war and post-war period
With works by artists, such as Carla Badiali, Giacomo Balla, Sante Monachesi and Lucio Fontana, on display, the vibrant exhibition truly captures the excitement of the times
INFORMATION
‘Painting in Italy 1910s-1950s: Futurism, Abstraction, Concrete Art’ will be open until 23 January
Photography: Tom Powel Imaging
ADDRESS
Sperone Westwater
257 Bowery
New York
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the British capital this week
-
Doshi Retreat at the Vitra Campus is both a ‘first’ and a ‘last’ for the great Balkrishna DoshiDoshi Retreat opens at the Vitra campus, honouring the Indian modernist’s enduring legacy and joining the Swiss design company’s existing, fascinating collection of pavilions, displays and gardens
-
Issey Miyake’s shape-shifting A/W 2025 collection transforms the paper bag into something you can wear‘Can anything be considered a garment, as long as it’s on the body?’ says creative director Satoshi Kondo of the art-infused collection, which sees the everyday reimagined
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
From sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the British capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Inside a Courtney Love-inspired art exhibition in New YorkLiza Jo Eilers looks to the glory days of Hole at an exhibition at Grimm New York
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
