Pistoletto Super Star by Platinum Media Lab

PISTOLETTO S UPERSTAR

Two exhibitions and an exciting project celebrate an important figure in the Arte Povera movement. At the age of 91 he is still manning the art barricades

by Micaela Zucconi

Being called Michelangelo would present challenges for any artist, but with his innovation, provocation, and an inexhaustible series of projects, Pistoletto, born in 1933, internationally recognised as one of the greatest artists of the 20th and now the 21st centuries, has changed the way art is made. His portfolio includes the self-portraits in “Quadri specchianti” (Mirro Paintings), which include the spectator in the work (he presented a memorable performance at the Venice Art Biennale of 2009, when he destroyed 22 large mirrors with a hammer), the “Oggetti in meno” (Minus Objects), the creation in 1998 in Biella of the CittàdellarteFondazione Pistoletto, whose aim is to combine ethics, aesthetics, art and society and the recent stages of his career with the Terzo Paradiso, announced in 2004 and supported by an essay outlining the underlying theory. Villa Manin, an 18th century masterpiece in Passariano di Codroipo, in the Friuli region, celebrates this towering figure with the art project “Terza Terra” (until 31st December), curated by Guido Comis. It features some of his masterworks, like his famous “Quadri specchianti” (Mirror Paintings), the “Venere degli Stracci” (Venus of the Rags) – another iconic work that exists in several versions – the “Sfera di Giornali” (Newspaper Ball), the “Metro cubo d’infinito” (Cubic Metre of Infinity) and works by Italian and other artists that also focus on the ethical and social dimension of Pistoletto’s work. Of course, the catalogue also includes “Terzo Paradiso” (Third Paradise), a botanical version of which is to be created in the villa gardens. The symbol, Pistoletto has written, that is a prelude to the passage towards a new level of civilisation, one that is essential to the survival of humankind and the planet,

Opening, Michelangelo Pistoletto in front of “Sfera di Giornali”. Above, the work “Third Paradise Quick Response”, by Michelangelo Pistoletto for Cantieri Sanlorenzo and Cittàdellarte, presented in Venice at the 60th Art Biennale. A site-specific installation for Sanlorenzo Arts Venice, the brand’s new cultural and artistic hub, set to open in 2025

a fusion of the first and second paradise already described, and a synthesis of cultural, scientific and technological conquests. Until 10th September the Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting the retrospective exhibition “Preventative Peace”, curated by Maja Kolarić, an overview of over sixty years of activity seen through the artist’s most famous works and most recent productions, in a mystical, discursive journey, giving voice to the themes of love, empathy, peace and respect for the natural world. Finally, “Third Paradise Quick Response” is the version created by the collaboration between the artist, his foundation and the Cantieri Sanlorenzo, a leader in the production of yachts and superyachts whose products feature artisanal care, advanced technology and design. The

work was presented in the setting of the Venice Bienniele, as a prelude to the launch of Sanlorenzo Arts Venice, a new cultural and artistic hub supported by Massimo Perotti, the CEO of the visionary nautical company. The monumental installation has been specially developed for the historic Venetian palace, a stone’s throw from the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, which will host the new arts centre and is the main site of the Sanlorenzo Foundation, founded in 2021. “Art and industry, art

and production – this is a real, possible project, not a simple installation but a programme for the future”, says Cristiano Seganfreddo, editor of Flash Art and curator of the project. The restoration was handled by the architect Piero Lissoni, Art Director of Sanlorenzo since 2018. The new cultural centre, which will open in 2025, will be a venue for encounters and discussion, designed to accommodate art exhibitions, design, architecture and art works from the brand’s permanent collection.

To side, “Ping Pong – Segno Arte”, 19761997. Below, “La Venere degli Stracci”. Opposite, top, from left, Michelangelo Pistoletto in the “La Pace preventiva” exhibition at the Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art. By Michelangelo Pistoletto at Villa Manin, Passariano di Codroipo: “Gabbia Specchio” (MirrorCage), 1973-1992. Bottom, also at the Villa Manin, the botanical version of “Terzo Paradiso”