Piero Manzoni challenged the traditional status of the art object by employing unconventional materials, including rabbit fur, bread rolls, and human excrement. His conceptual approach to visual art, which often satirized the mechanics of consumerism and the post-war Italian economic miracle, provided a significant foundation for the later development of the Arte Povera movement.
Early Career and Influences
Born in 1933 in Soncino, Italy, Manzoni pursued education at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. He began exhibiting his work in 1956 at the age of 23. His initial creative phase involved gestural painting influenced by Milanese Nuclear Art figures like Enrico Baj. However, a 1957 visit to Yves Klein’s blue monochrome exhibition in Milan caused a definitive shift in his practice, leading him away from Art Informel toward conceptual experimentation.
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Take the IQ test →The Development of Achromes
Following his exposure to Klein, Manzoni produced his series of Achromes. These works appeared white but were inherently colourless, serving as a critique of material art. He utilized diverse substances such as kaolin clay, fiberglass, cotton wool, and phosphorescent paints. Through these relief paintings, he engaged with the artistic precedents set by Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, and Robert Rauschenberg while exploring the changing nature of the canvas.
Azimut Gallery and Conceptual Multiples
In 1959, Manzoni co-founded the Azimut Gallery in Milan alongside Enrico Castellani. The space became a venue for revolutionary projects, including the 1959 exhibition 12 Linee and the 1960 presentation of Corpi d'Aria, which consisted of balloons sold as portable sculptures. During the 1960 event Consumption of Art by the Art-Devouring Public, Manzoni served hard-boiled eggs marked with his thumbprint to attendees, further questioning the relationship between the creator, the object, and the public.
Critique of the Art Market
Manzoni famously produced Artist's Shit in 1961, consisting of 90 sealed cans. Each was priced according to its weight in gold, directly mocking the commercialization of art. He also issued Declarations of Authenticity, which legally designated individuals as living works of art. Despite his varied output, including mechanical sculptures and solar-powered works, his career was cut short by a myocardial infarction in his Milan studio on February 6, 1963.
Fast facts
- Born: 1933, Soncino
- Died: 1963, Milan
- Movement: Arte Povera
- Notable Works: Artist's Shit, Achromes, Body of Air
- Education: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
- Citizenship: Italy
- Gallery: Azimut Gallery, Milan
Questions readers ask
What were the Achromes?
They were a series of colourless paintings made from materials such as kaolin, canvas, and various synthetic substances to move beyond traditional pigments.
How did Manzoni die?
He died of a myocardial infarction in his Milan studio in 1963 at the age of 30.
Achievements
- Notable work: Artist's Shit
- Notable work: Achromes
- Notable work: Linee
- Notable work: Body of Air
- Movement: Arte Povera
