Agostino Bonalumi
dal 3/10/2013 al 14/11/2013
Segnalato da
3/10/2013
Agostino Bonalumi
Robilant + Voena Gallery, London
"All the Shapes of Space 1958-1976" showcases a selection from nearly 20 years of his work, reaffirming his key role in the context of a creativity aimed at going beyond informal expression towards a significant reduction of the image in a dialogue with the most creative experiments of the period, such as those of the artists who congregated around the Azimut gallery in Milan and the Zero and Nul groups in Germany and Holland.
curated by Francesca Pola
Robilant+Voena announce a major exhibition of work by AGOSTINO BONALUMI, open from
October 4th through to November 15th. Preceded by lengthy, in-depth research, the
exhibition is curated by Francesca Pola, under the supervision of the artist and in
cooperation with the Archivio Bonalumi. This will be Bonalumi's first solo
exhibition in the United Kingdom since 1960, when the New Vision Centre Gallery of
London last presented his work to the English public. Bonalumi, who at that time was
reaping the first international successes of a long career, is now recognized as one
of the great protagonists of the European Avant-garde.
"Bonalumi. All the Shapes of Space 1958-1976" will showcase a selection from nearly
twenty years of his work, reaffirming his key role in the context of a creativity
aimed at going beyond informal expression towards a significant reduction of the
image in a dialogue with the most creative experiments of the period, such as those
of the artists who congregated around the Azimut gallery in Milan and the Zero and
Nul groups in Germany and Holland.
The exhibition starts from 1958, with the exceptional rediscovery of 'Senza Titolo'
that was published in September 1959 in the first issue of the seminal Milanese art
journal, Azimuth. The painting is emblematic of the relationship with artists such
as Castellani and Manzoni who, like Bonalumi, worked in the wake of Lucio Fontana's
creative legacy. The exhibition reveals the complexity and wealth of Bonalumi's
research on form and material in the transition between the 60sand 70s, through the
development of his experimentation with shaped canvases, which from the early
plastic versions evolve towards large, rhythmic and luminous progressions. The
exhibition includes never before exhibited canvases from Italian private collections
and an important loan from the Museo Berardo of Lisbon: ' Bianco' from 1964. For the
first time ever, 'Blu abitabile' will be shown outside Italy. This environment was
created for the historic exhibition 'Lo spazio dell'immagine' held in Palazzo
Trinci, Foligno in 1967, and was shown again in 1970 at the exhibition 'Vitalità
del negativo' in the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome. The piece will be presented in
its original configuration.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a book of over 200 pages, in English, edited
by Francesca Pola and published by Skira-Rizzoli. This is the first monograph to be
devoted to this crucial period of the artist's career. Based on extensive studies of
his work during these decades, with about 180 images of paintings and documents, it
will also include a selection of his writings from the period, an interview with the
artist for the occasion and an iconographic mapping of approximately thirty of
Bonalumi's works in museums around the world, from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
in Venice to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
Press contact:
Mira Dimitrova +44 207 4091540 mira@robilantvoena.com
Reception for the Artist Monday, 14 October, 6-9pm
Robilant+Voena
38 Dover Street London
Hours: Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm
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Admission free