Piero Gilardi, born on August 3, 1942, in Turin, Italy, to a Swiss family, was a visionary artist whose work spanned several decades and encompassed a wide range of artistic expressions, including sculpture, design, art theory, performance, and installation. His education at the Liceo Artistico in Turin laid the foundation for a career that would see him become a pivotal figure in the Arte Povera movement and a proponent of CyberArt. Gilardi's work was deeply influenced by his personal encounters with artists like Michelangelo Pistoletto, which helped him develop his unique perspective on Pop Art and his understanding of the cybernetic idea of feedback and the scientific rationale behind man's mental synthesis. This understanding led him to focus on the fluxus and relationship of things around him, marking a significant shift in his approach to art. Gilardi's early works in the 1960s were characterized by his experiments with unorthodox materials, leading to the creation of his much-acclaimed and often controversial “Tappeti-natura” (Nature-carpets)—floor installations and wall reliefs made of plants and a wide variety of nature studies. These works brought him substantial critical and commercial success through the ’60s. However, disillusioned with the art world, Gilardi ceased making art by the early 1970s and embarked on a decade-long journey of travel and activism, both in Italy and abroad. This period of self-imposed exile was a time of reflection and engagement with various social and political movements, which would profoundly influence his later work. In the 1980s, Gilardi re-emerged in the art scene, now focusing on new-media works, interactive installations, and relational art projects that encompassed political activism. These works centered on the precarious bonds between nature and society, reflecting his deep environmentalist concerns. His later career was marked by a series of collaborative art projects aimed at stimulating community involvement and raising awareness about environmental issues. One of his most significant contributions to this field was the creation of the Parco Arte Vivente (Park of Living Art) in Turin in the 2000s, an outdoor project that welcomed artists, scientists, and the public to participate directly in a dialogue about art, nature, and technology. Gilardi's work has been exhibited widely, both in Italy and internationally, with solo exhibitions in prestigious galleries in Paris, New York, Brescia, and Ravenna, among others. Despite his critical success, Gilardi remained a figure who often operated outside the mainstream art market, focusing instead on the potential of art to effect real change in society. His writings, including articles for various art magazines and books, further articulate his vision for a world where art and life are inseparably intertwined. Throughout his career, Gilardi remained committed to the ideals of Arte Povera, advocating for artists' autonomy within the art system and resisting the commercialization of the movement. His work, especially the “Nature-carpets,” gained him fame and positioned him alongside his compatriots in the Arte Povera group, which sought to reflect on the Italian postwar condition through arrangements of natural materials within the gallery space. However, Gilardi's approach was unique in that his “Nature-carpets” relied upon polyurethane, blending artificiality with nature in a way that questioned and expanded the boundaries of traditional art. Piero Gilardi's legacy is that of an artist who consistently sought to merge art and life, challenging conventional values and uses of visual art. His career, marked by a unique trajectory from critical acclaim in his early 20s to a period of activism and later re-engagement with the art world, reflects a lifelong commitment to exploring the relationship between nature, technology, and society. Gilardi's work remains a testament to the power of art to provoke thought, inspire change, and connect us more deeply to the world around us.

Piero Gilardi Quotes and Sales of Works

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