Franco Guerzoni Italian, 1948

Franco Guerzoni (Modena, Italy, 1948)

Born in Modena in 1948, in the 1970s Franco Guerzoni began to work in various forms of experimental artistic production, closely linked to photography. This period was marked by strong conceptual influences and intense creative exchanges with other young artists, including Luigi Ghirri.

Throughout these years, he developed an interest in archaeology, traveling to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India, and Nepal.

In the early 1980s, his artistic exploration focused on rediscovering his pictorial sensitivity, driven by an attraction to pure materials.

He saw painting as the materialisation of the wall, a medium for his archaeological operation. By applying chalky stratifications on large parietal papers, he investigated the idea of an imaginary geography.

His works were conceived as part of larger cycles, such as "Decorazioni e rovine", displayed at the Venice Biennale in 1990.

He has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in Italy and abroad, including "Nessun luogo, da nessuna parte. Viaggi randagi con Luigi Ghirri” at the Milan Triennale in Milan, 2014; "Archeologie senza restauro" at the MAMbo in Bologna, 2014; "Futuruins" at Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, 2018; "L’immagine sottratta" at the Museo del Novecento in Milan, 2020-2021.

In 2022, he was involved in the group exhibition "Renverser ses jeux" at Jeu de Paume in Paris, and displayed his works at the Milan Triennale, in Milan.

The artist currently lives and works in Modena.

Photo UniCredit Group (Sebastiano Pellion di Persano)