Gilberto Zorio Italian, 1944

Gilberto Zorio (Andorno Micca, Biella, Italy, 1944)

Born in Biella in 1944, Gilberto Zorio studied at the Accademia Albertiana in Turin.

He had his first exhibition at the Piccola Galleria d'arte moderna in Turin in 1963 and his first solo show in Paris at the Ileana Sonnabend Gallery in 1969.

Pioneering the Arte Povera movement, Zorio revolutionised the language of sculpture through his poetics of narrative across time and space. His approach liberated this form of artistic expression from its conventional fixity and weight, allowing the audience to perceive the artwork not as a mere physical presence but as a creation belonging to the imagination realm.

The artist employs energetic poetics characterised by the presentation of materials and objects that shift the focus from the artistic creation itself, transforming them into the very essence of the artwork. This innovative approach replaces traditional methods, instigating alchemical processes of transformation. The cosmic icon of the star, a recurring leitmotif in the artist's work, makes its initial appearance in a piece dating back to 1972.

During these years he began to exhibit more and more in numerous solo and group art shows, at the Kunstmuseum in Lucerne in 1976, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1979, the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1986, the Fundacao de Serralves in Porto in 1990 and the Dia Center for the Arts in New York in 2001. His presence in Europe and overseas quickly established him as an artist of international renown.
Recent exhibitions include “Arte Povera 1962-1972” at the Tate Modern in London, at the MAMbo in Bologna (2009) and the one curated by Germano Celant (2011). In the same year, MAXXI presented “Omaggio all'Arte Povera” with two large installations by Jannis Kounellis and Gilberto Zorio. In 2013 he took part in the LV Venice Biennale where he exhibited his works in the Pavilion of the Republic of Cuba together with those of H.H. Lim, Francesca Leone, and Hermann Nitsch in the exhibition  "La perversione della Classicità: anarchia delle narrazioni".

The artist currently lives and works in Turin.

Photo: P. Tucci