Lucio Fontana, Rosario de Santa Fé 1899 - 1968 Comabbio
Introduction
The founder of Spatialism, Lucio Fontana is a defining figure in postwar Italian abstraction. Born in Argentina, Fontana moved to Milan as a child together with his family in 1905. He initially trained as a sculptor with his father, who specialized in funerary monuments, and later studied at the Accademia de Brera, holding his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Il Milione in Milan in 1930. Fontana returned to Argentina in 1940, and in 1946 published his Manifiesto blanco, an introduction to the precepts of Spazialismo (Spatialism), which he followed up with his Primo manifesto dello spazialismo (First manifesto of spatialism) upon his return to Milan in the following year. By the end of the decade, Fontana was producing his revolutionary perforated canvases, a series he would continue to develop for the rest of his career. Each Concetto spaziale (spatial concept) typically featured a monochrome surface punctured with buchi (holes) to open up a new pictorial dimension. By the end of the 1950s, Fontana was slashing his canvases with his now-signature tagli (cuts), applying black fabric to the reverse of his canvases to enhance the sense of depth. Toward the end of his career Fontana, experimented with spatial environments, mounting neon lights in blackened rooms. For a series of cool and meditative white tagli installed like altarpieces in a monumental chapel, Fontana was awarded the International Grand Prize for Painting at the 1966 Venice Biennale.
Works
Exhibitions
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Art Fair
Frieze Seoul , 2 - 5 Sep 2022Robilant+Voena will participate in Frieze Seoul 2022, which will take place from 2– 5 September 2022.Read more -
Art Fair
Masterpiece London, 30 Jun - 6 Jul 2022Booth 410 At Masterpiece London 2022, Robilant+Voena will present works by Damien Hirst, Giorgio Morandi, and Turi Simeti, among others.Read more -
Art Fair
TEFAF Maastricht, 24 - 30 Jun 2022Robilant+Voena is pleased to be participating at TEFAF Maastricht. For its 2022 edition, the gallery will exhibit a selection of works by Francesco Hayez, Nicolas...Read more
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Fontana + The Gothic
4 May - 11 Jun 2022Fontana + The Gothic pairs masterworks of Italian Gothic painting with Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts, presenting the old masters through the lens of Fontana’s art...Read more -
Lucio Fontana
9 Sep - 19 Nov 2021I do not want to make a painting; I want to open up space. — Lucio Fontana Puncturing and slashing clay, canvas and metal,...Read more -
Fontana Ceramics
A Private Exhibition of Lucio Fontana's Pioneering Ceramics, 19 May - 2 Jul 2021Lucio Fontana (1899–1968), the artist who took abstract painting into the third dimension by puncturing and slashing his canvases, perhaps unsurprisingly considered himself above all...Read more
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Lucio Fontana
First Solo Exhibition in Korea, 11 May - 23 Jul 2021Robilant+Voena is delighted to present Lucio Fontana's first solo exhibition, as well as the first exhibition dedicated to a postwar Italian artist, in Korea, on...Read more -
BEYOND CANVAS
Art Basel OVR: Italian Modern Artists Pushing the 'Fabric' of Tradition to its Limits, 4 - 6 Dec 2020VIRTUAL EXHIBITION Material experimentation, technical innovation, and conceptual invention are at the core of modern Italian art. Daring and pioneering figures including Carla Accardi, Alighiero...Read more -
Creation from Destruction
Frieze Masters 2020, 7 Oct - 2 Nov 2020“Every act of creation was once an act of destruction.” - Pablo Picasso The birth of the new and unique often comes from...Read more
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Ugo Mulas
Creative Intersections, 4 Mar - 24 May 2019Robilant + Voena are pleased to present the first solo exhibition of the Italian photographer Ugo Mulas (1928-1973) in London and the UK. The show...Read more -
Society Portraits
25 Jun - 28 Aug 2018 -
ITALIAN POST-WAR SCULPTURE
BETWEEN FIGURATION AND ABSTRACTION, 4 Oct - 17 Nov 2017Italian postwar sculpture was dynamic, experimental, and original. This exhibition presents works created during the pivotal moment after the war when Italian sculptors rejected the...Read more
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LUCIO FONTANA
6 - 27 May 2016ROBILANT+VOENA are very pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by the celebrated Italian artist Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), on view at 24th East 80th...Read more -
LUCIO FONTANA
4 Dec 2015 - 29 Feb 2016ROBILANT+VOENA are very pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by the celebrated Italian artist Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), on view at our St. Moritz...Read more -
WHITE MARBLE & PAINTING from the Antiquity to Now
21 Feb - 7 Mar 2014Presented in New York, London, Milan and St. Moritz the exhibition “WHITE, Marble and Painting from Antiquity to Now” will present an edited selection of...Read more
Videos
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The Fontana Phenomenon
The evolution of Fontana's groundbreaking ceramics July 24, 2020In the tiny Ligurian town where Lucio Fontana had his ceramics studio, the villagers reminisced about the Fontana Phenomenon. Video produced and directed by Carolyn...Read more -
Ugo Mulas
Creative Intersections March 6, 2019
Catalogues
News
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Press Release
Fontana and the Gothic - New York April 28, 2022Robilant+Voena’s latest exhibition pairs masterworks of Italian Gothic painting with Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts, presenting the old masters through the lens of Fontana’s art and...Read more -
Press Release
Miart 2022 March 24, 20221–3 April 2022 Fiera Milano SPA Robilant+Voena is pleased to announce its 10th participation at Miart. For its 2022 edition, the gallery will exhibit a...Read more -
Press Release
Fontana and The Gothic opening in St. Moritz January 31, 202231 JANUARY 2022 Robilant+Voena’s latest exhibition pairs masterworks of Italian Gothic painting with Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts, presenting the old masters through the lens of...Read more
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Press Release
Robilant+Voena at Art Basel Miami Beach 2021 December 2, 2021Stand H2 Art Basel Miami Beach Miami Beach Convention Centre 2–4 December 2021 VIP preview 30 November–1 December 2021 (New York, NYC) – 23 November...Read more -
Press Release
Lucio Fontana Exhibition September 7, 2021NEW YORK I do not want to make a painting; I want to open up space. — Lucio Fontana Robilant+Voena is pleased to announce an...Read more -
Press Release
Frieze Masters 2021: Virgin. Muse. Heroine. May 11, 2021LONDON Robilant+Voena is pleased to present an outstanding selection of female portraits from gold-grounds to Warhol for Frieze Masters 2021. Bold and heroic, proud and...Read more
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Press Release
Lucio Fontana's First Solo Exhibition in Korea May 11, 2021SEOUL – Robilant+Voena is delighted to announce Lucio Fontana's first solo exhibition, as well as the first exhibition dedicated to a postwar Italian artist, in...Read more -
Event
Beyond Canvas: A Discussion between Paul Schimmel and Francesca Pola December 1, 2020In a dramatic rejection of the materials and methods of their predecessors, Italian modern artists moved away from traditional painted surfaces, discovering new worlds of...Read more
Press
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‘Just a piece of a masterpiece’ is a new trend
Park Yuna, The Korea Herald
August 4, 2021 Tessa, a company that runs a group purchase business in Seoul, opened the exhibition “I, Fontana” featuring 20 works in... -
Why Victoria Beckham is exhibiting 20th-century Italian art
Melanie Gerlis, Financial Times
July 4, 2019 'In collaboration with Robilant+Voena gallery, Beckham’s London store now includes nine paintings and sculptures by the likes of Lucio Fontana,... -
Fontana, Consagra e Scheggi: l’arte italiana conquista Victoria Beckham [Translated]
Nicol Degli Innocenti, Il Sole 24 Ore
July 4, 2019 'On display in the London boutique are works of great artists loaned by the Robilant+Voena Gallery... -
Victoria Beckham features Fontana in tie-up with gallery Robilant+Voena
Francis Allitt, Antiques Trade Gazette
July 2, 2019 'Victoria Beckham has launched a new collaboration with the London art market, installing artworks from Mayfair’s Robilant + Voena in... -
The Renaissance of Italian Art
Jane Morris, Art Agency, Partners
May 9, 2019 'Consagra played a key role in postwar Italian sculpture,” says Benedict Tomlinson, Director of European gallery Robilant + Voena, which... -
Ugo Mulas and the Italian Post-War Artists of the 1960s and 70s
Balasz Takac, Widewalls
May 7, 2019 'In order to present his practice, Robilant + Voena is hosting the first ever solo exhibition of Mulas in London... -
Pasado y Presente (Past and Present)
Jorge Kunitz, Tendencias
March 27, 2019 Old masters and contemporary stars coexist in the gallery of Edmondo di Robilant and Marco Voena. -
Observing the refreshing TEFAF 2019: one report, six changes [translated]
Artron
March 21, 2019 One of the Old Masters highlights is Robilant+Voena’s portrait of the young Alessandro Farnese in armour. This gallery has branches... -
Exhibitors report early sales as TEFAF Maastricht 2019 opens its doors with new vetting policy
Frances Allitt, Alex Capon, Antiques Trade Gazette
March 15, 2019 'Art dealer Robilant + Voena, which has galleries has three locations (London, Milan, and St. Moritz), sold a painting on... -
A new way of seeing Italian art – Ugo Mulas at Robilant + Voena
Irene Machetti, FAD Magazine
March 15, 2019 Robilant + Voena present the photographs of Ugo Mulas in an exhibition that reveals the power of Italian post-war art... -
7mila anni di storia
Sonia S. Braga, Architectural Digest
March 14, 2019 A Maastricht il TEFAF metta in scena il meglio dell'antiquariato e del contemporaneo. -
Calder, Fontana, Morandi at Robilant + Voena, St. Moritz
Blouin Artinfo
February 5, 2019 'Masterworks by Calder, Fontana and Morandi will be on view at Robilant + Voena, St. Moritz (...) The exhibition highlights... -
In London, a Frenzied Frieze Week in the Shadow of Brexit
Scott Reyburn, The New York Times
October 5, 2018 'The key is to mix it up', said Marco Voena, partner at the international dealership Robilant and Voena, who sold... -
Inside Bottega Veneta's 15,000-Square-Foot Manhattan Mansion
Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest
March 17, 2018 Tomas Maier craves authenticity. “Everything is so globalized, with so many stores that look alike in cities that have tons... -
Cinque anni di lavori, ora la casa è pronta
Paola Pollo, Il Corriere della Sera
February 11, 2018 Quadri dalla galleria d'arte Robilant+Voena nella nuova maison Bottega Veneta di Thomas Maier al 740 di Madison Avenue, New York:... -
Bottega Veneta's New York Store is a Sparkling Tribute to New York
Andrea Whittle, Conde Nast Traveller
February 6, 2018 The brand's signature woven intrecciato leather pieces for men and women, along with eyewear, shoes, watches, fragrances, jewelry and ready-to-wear... -
Snow, Schlag, and Schnabel: Kenny Schachter’s Dispatch From St. Moritz (and Predictions for 2018)
Kenny Schachter, Artnet News
January 4, 2018 I’m no fan of Christmas, New Year’s is even worse—all the contrived peace, love, and joy is frankly too much,... -
British art fairs: One country, but worlds apart
Scott Reyburn, International New York Times
July 11, 2016 An international clientele is likely to help London market amid uncertainity -
THE TECHNICAL PERFECTION OF LUCIO FONTANA IN EXHIBITION AT ROBILANT + VOENA
Angie Kordic, Widewalls
May 1, 2016 To fully experience the works as groundbreaking as these, one must simply visit a Lucio Fontana exhibition and see... -
Cambio di Scena
Sonia S.Braga, AD
February 21, 2016 Il ruolo dominante della fotografia, il ritorno dei maestri anni Sessanta, un omaggio a Joseph Beuys. Il TEFAF si scopre... -
Over 40 Years since His Death, a Look at Lucio Fontana’s Prolific Destruction
M. Osberg, Artsy
February 9, 2016 Lucio Fontana , the celebrated Italian painter widely considered to be the founder of Spatialism , spent the majority of... -
5 To See This Weekend
Aesthetica
February 5, 2016 Our 5 to See this week draws on both old and new practices, providing an excellent introduction to shows leading... -
London Updates: tanta Italia a Mayfair alla nona edizione di PAD. Ecco le immagini dall’ormai classica fiera aperta al d
Barbara Martorelli, Artribune
October 17, 2015 Non può certo venire a mancare a PAD il grande trend del momento, l’arte italiana dal secondo dopo guerra, e... -
The Very Best of Frieze Masters
TextHarry Seymour, AnOther Magazine
October 16, 2015 As the good, the bad and the ugly of the art world descend on London for a plethora of fairs,... -
Money, Natural Beauty and Great Art Make St. Moritz Art Masters 2015 Irresistible
Hili Perlson, Artnet News
August 26, 2015 Many works on view by the likes of Lucio Fontana or Paolo Scheggi have not been shown in decades, and... -
Steady but Uneven Sales at the 6th Edition of Masterpiece London
Lorena Muñoz-Alonso, Artnet News
June 26, 2015 At the booth of Robilant+Voena, director Mira Dimitrova was positively elated. “This year sales are being absolutely fantastic, it is...