Michelangelo Pistoletto (born 23 June 1933) is an Italian painter,

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

and object artist, and art theorist. Pistoletto is acknowledged as one of the main representatives of the Italian

Arte Povera Arte Povera (; literally "poor art") was an art movement that took place between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s in major cities throughout Italy and above all in Turin. Other cities where the movement was also important are ...

. His work mainly deals with the subject matter of

reflection Reflection or reflexion may refer to: Science and technology * Reflection (physics), a common wave phenomenon ** Specular reflection, mirror-like reflection of waves from a surface *** Mirror image, a reflection in a mirror or in water ** Diffuse r ...

(especially in his Mirror Paintings) and the unification of art and everyday life in terms of a

Gesamtkunstwerk A ''Gesamtkunstwerk'' (, 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. ...

Biography

From 1947 until 1958, Pistoletto worked in his father's restoration workshop in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. In the 1950s, he started painting figurative works and

self-portrait Self-portraits are Portrait painting, portraits artists make of themselves. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, the practice of self-portraiture only gaining momentum in the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century ...

s. In 1959, he participated in the Biennale di

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

. In the following year, he had his first solo exhibition in the ''Galleria Galatea'' in Turin. In the beginning of the 1960s, Pistoletto started painting figurative works and self-portraits which he painted on a monochrome, metallic background. Later on, he combined painting with photography using

collage Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

techniques on reflective backgrounds. Eventually, he switched over to printing

photorealistic Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can b ...

scenes on steel plates polished to a high finish. He did that using the

screen-printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a Substrate (printing), substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen i ...

method which made the observer almost completely melt in with what was depicted. In the mid-1960s, gallery owner

Ileana Sonnabend Ileana Sonnabend (née Schapira, October 29, 1914 – October 21, 2007) was a Romanian-American art dealer of 20th-century art. The Sonnabend Gallery opened in Paris in 1962 and was instrumental in making American art of the 1960s known in Europe, ...

brought him into contact with an international audience. In 1965/1966, he produced the series of works ''Oggetti in meno (Minus Objects)'', which belongs to Pistoletto's early

sculptural Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable s ...

works. In 1966, Pistoletto had his first solo exhibition in the US, at the

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. In 1967, his work was awarded first prize in the Biennale de

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. In the same year, Pistoletto started focusing on performance,

video art Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. V ...

and theatre. He founded an action art group, called "Zoo Group", which gave several performances between 1968 and 1970. These took place in the studio, public buildings or on the streets of Turin or other large cities. As was already the case with Pistoletto's 2-dimensional and sculptural works, the aim was to display the unity of art and everyday life.

Arte Povera

Michelangelo Pistoletto began painting on mirrors in 1962, connecting painting with the constantly changing realities in which the work finds itself. In the later sixties he began bringing together rags with casts of omnipresent classical statuary of Italy to break down the hierarchies of "art" and common things. An art of impoverished materials is certainly one aspect of the definition of Arte Povera. In his 1967 Muretto di stracci (Rag Wall) Pistoletto makes an exotic and opulent tapestry wrapping common bricks in discarded scraps of fabric. The work received a lot of feedback: Pistoletto, who started under the American influence of "post- pop art" and

photorealism Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can b ...

, was soon listed by gallery owners and critics in the catalogues as a significant representative of the novel, mostly Italian trend of the

. Against the background of the 1968

student riots Student riots, college riots, or campus riots are riots precipitated by students, generally from a college, university, or other school. Student riots are often an aspect of student protests. Reasons As with riot A riot or mob violence is ...

, Pistoletto withdrew his participation in the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

. In the following years, he dealt with conceptual ideas, which he presented in the book ''L'uomo nero'' (1970). In 1974, he nearly completely withdrew from the art scene: he took an exam as a skiing instructor and spent most of his time in the mountains of

San Sicario Sansicario (also spelled San Sicario) is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Cesana Torinese (Metropolitan City of Turin) in Piedmont, north-western Italy. It lies at in the Val Susa and has a population of 93 people. It is a famous winter tou ...

. At the end of the 1970s, he produced sculptures, heads, and torsos using

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

. In doing so, he was a recipient of antique artifacts and he furthermore pursued other performance and theatre projects–including those in the US in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and San Francisco. At the beginning of the 1980s, he presented theatre works, such as ''Anno Uno'' (March 1981) in the

Teatro Quirino The Teatro Quirino is an opera house in Rome opened in 1871. It hosted the premiere of Pietro Mascagni's operetta '' Sì''. Its historical name has been joined by the recognition for one of the most acclaimed Italian theatrical actors of the tw ...

in Rome. Since 1990, Pistoletto has been living and working in Turin.

Cittadelarte – Fondazione Pistoletto

In 1994, Michelangelo Pistoletto proclaimed his programme ''Progetto Arte'', the aim of which was the creative and social economic unification of all parts of human existence; in a narrower sense, the systematic combination of all achievements and knowledge of civilisation with aspects of art (e.g. fashion, theatre, design, etc.). In 1996, he founded the art city ''Cittadelarte – Fondazione Pistoletto'' in an abandoned textile factory near Biella, as a centre and "laboratory", supporting and researching creative resources, and producing innovative ideas and possibilities. The Cittadelarte is divided into different ''Uffici/Offices'' ( work, education, communications, art, nutrition, politics, spirituality, and economics), which exchange with each other within an intermedial network. Although it is conceived as a closed system, transparency towards the outside world is an important aspect of the Cittadelarte.

Mirror Paintings

Pistoletto's Mirror Paintings are artworks made of human size mirrors. Using these mirrors as basic material, he paints figures or prints photographic images on them. First Mirror Paintings were created in the early sixties. The printed subjects show a broad spectrum of motives: for example self-portraits, pictures from gallery visitors or objects of daily life. Pistoletto intentionally uses the reflective properties of the steel to produce an interactive dialogue between the viewer and the image in front of them. From an interview in 1963 Pistoletto states the relationship between the viewer, the painting, and the virtual space as "the joining of couples of opposite polarity between the photographic image and what goes on in the virtual space generated by the reflecting surface ..." A central role is given to the spectator. His mirrored picture seems to get in interaction with the printed motive. In some way the viewer becomes part of the artwork. This phenomenon is relevant especially in time of European Student activism. Every individual spectator becomes active while regarding the artwork. This central position of the visitor could motivate him to become active also in other parts of society, which matches the ideas of the

. Pistoletto is quoted saying, "In my mirror-paintings the dynamic reflection does not create a place, because it only reflects a place which already exists- the static silhouette does no more than re-propose an already existing place. But I can create a place by bringing about a passage between the photograph and the mirror: this place is whole time."Michelangelo Pistoletto. 1966. Exhibition catalogue. Galleria La Bertesca, Genova. The previous quote enlightens the reader on Pistoletto's attempt to, in 1964 at the Galleria Sperone, work on bringing the meaning of the mirror out into the inhabited space surrounding it. The simultaneous representation of traditional dimensions and of reality in motion reveals the new dimensions of the mirror-paintings. Sometimes the paintings on the mirrors are portraits of Pistoletto's friends, patrons and/or self-portraits: this is true for the artist's recent entirely mirrored-hall at the Ristorante del Cambio, Piazza Carignano,

1980s–1990s

Michelangelo Pistoletto's art was prominently featured in major international exhibitions, including Documenta 7 and 9 in Kassel (1982 and 1992), as well as the Venice Biennales of 1984, 1986, and 1993.

2000s–2020s

Pistoletto received the Leone d'Oro for lifetime achievement at the 2003

. In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Wolf Foundation Prize in Jerusalem, acknowledging his extensive contributions to the art world. In 2000 the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona held a retrospective of his work. In 2005, he exhibited alongside

Agnès Varda Agnès Varda (; born Arlette Varda; 30 May 1928 – 29 March 2019) was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter and photographer. Varda's work employed location shooting in an era when the limitations of sound technology made it easier ...

and Éric Sandillon. In 2010, another major retrospective was slated at the

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is an List of art museums#North America, art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at ...

Selected works

* 1976/92: ''Scaffale (Bookcase)'' – metal and enamel, various realisations,

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

* 1962/82: ''Uomo in piedi (Standing Man)'' –

serigraphy Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a Substrate (printing), substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen i ...

on polished steel, Tate Gallery * 1967/74: '' Venere degli stracci (Venus of the Rags)'' – sculpture and textiles, Tate Gallery * 1965/66: ''Oggetti in meno (Minus Objects)'' – various objects,

Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Museums in this group include: * The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Ne ...

* 1968: ''Orchestra di stracci – Quartetto'' – various objects, Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto * 1997: ''L'ala die Krems. (The Wing of Krems)'',

Krems an der Donau Krems an der Donau (, ) is a city in Lower Austria, Austria. With a population of 24,821, it is the 20th-largest city of Austria and fifth-largest of Lower Austria. It is approximately west of Vienna. Krems is a city with its own statute (or '' ...

publicart.at
Susanne Neuburger: ''Der Flügel von Krems'' (The Wing of Krems – in German)

Artist books

* ''Le Miroir comme Tableau'', 23 x 23 x 1,5 cm. Limited edition of 120 copies and 15 copies not for sale and 10 artist's proofs / Michelangelo Pistoletto and 5 artist's proofs / Jacques Meuris. Numbered and signed by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Jacques Meuris. Produced and published in 1993 by les Maîtres de Forme Contemporains
mfc-michèle didier
and M. & L. Durand-Dessert.

Bibliography

* ''Der schwarze Mann. Die unerträgliche Seite.'' Transl. into German by Johannes Schlebrügge, Pakesch und Schlebrügge, Vienna 1997, * ''Michelangelo Pistoletto.'' Actar, 2000,

Notes

References

*Martin Friedman: ''Michelangelo Pistoletto, a reflected world.'' Catalog Walker Art Center, Minneapolis 1966. * Thomas Deecke: ''Michelangelo Pistoletto. Den Spiegel vorhalten.'' Künstler – Kritisches Lexikon der Gegenwartskunst, Ausgabe 11, Munich 1990 * Helmut Friedel: ''Michelangelo Pistoletto. Memoria Intelligentia Praevidentia.'' Katalog zur Ausstellung 1996 im

Lenbachhaus The Lenbachhaus () is a building housing the Städtische Galerie (English: Municipal Gallery) art museum in Munich's ''Kunstareal''. The building The Lenbachhaus was built as a Florentine-style villa for the painter Franz von Lenbach between ...

München Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 1996, * ''Michelangelo Pistoletto: A Minus Artist.'' Hopefulmonster Editore, 1988, * Nike Bätzner: ''Arte povera. Zwischen Erinnerung und Ereignis: Giulio Paolini, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis.'' Verlag für moderne Kunst, Nuremberg, 2000, *Carlos Basualdo: ''Michelangelo Pistoletto, from one to many.'' Catalog Philadelphia Museum of Art, New Haven 2010.

External links

Michelangelo Pistoletto website

Documentation of recent exhibitions by Michelangelo Pistoletto

Interview with Michelangelo Pistoletto

''Artforum'' review (02/2000)

Pan Wendt discusses Pistoletto's art collective ''Lo Zoo''
in

Fillip Fillip is a Vancouver-based contemporary art publishing organization formed in 2004. It publishes a magazine as well as books of critical writing. The magazine with the same name was started in 2005. The publisher of the magazine is the Project ...

Michelangelo Pistoletto: The Mirror of Judgement
exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pistoletto, Michelangelo 1933 births Living people People from Biella Italian contemporary artists 20th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 21st-century Italian painters Arte Povera Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale Wolf Prize in Arts laureates 20th-century Italian male artists 21st-century Italian male artists