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What You Need to Know: On view through April 6, 2024, Upper East Side gallery Michael Werner is presenting a solo exhibition of work by seminal Italian artist Piero Manzoni. A pioneering figure in the birth and trajectory of both performance and conceptual art, Manzoni is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Included in the show are some of the artist’s most pivotal works, including pieces from his “Achrome” series of the late 1950s and early 1960s and Magic Base – Living Sculpture (1961). The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, which includes a text by art historian Martin Engler.
About the Artist: Despite his short life, Piero Manzoni (1933–1963) achieved an indelible place within Western art history through his practice that questioned every aspect of the nature of art. Frequently humorous and irreverent, Manzoni created works that not only pushed boundaries—but buttons as well. In 1961 he created one of his most famous works, Merda d’artista (Artist’s shit), consisting of 90 sealed 30-gram cans with his own fecal matter. Riffing off the idea that art was meant to be deeply personal, while simultaneously teasing the practice of art collecting, the debut of the series caused a sensation, and scandal. Though largely self-taught, Manzoni exhibited a profound understanding of art and the art world, granting him the ability to create cutting commentary through his oeuvre, the reverberations of which are still felt today.
Why We Like It: The solo exhibition of Manzoni’s work at Michael Werner is an exquisite opportunity for both followers of his work and those less versed in his practice to see a curated collection of some of his most influential pieces. Multiple examples of his Achromes, which were inspired by a show of blue monochromes by Yves Klein, highlight his material ingenuity. Manzoni’s work, in contrast to Klein’s, is neutral-colored and comprised of a variety of disparate materials, such as rabbit skin, wool, or fiberglass. Elsewhere, his Magic Base is as much an artifact of art history as an artwork in and of itself (though he did not intend for it to be). It is from one of his Scultura viventi (Living Sculpture) performances, the first of which was staged in 1961, where a visitor would stand on the base and he would sign them, making them a work of art. Together, the exhibition is a snapshot of both Manzoni’s remarkable career, and of the early stages of contemporary conceptual art.
See images from the exhibition below.
Piero Manzoni, Base mágica – Scultura vivente (Magic Base – Living Sculpture) (1961). Courtesy of Michael Werner, New York.
Installation view of “Piero Manzoni” (2024). Courtesy of Michael Werner, New York.
Piero Manzoni, Impronte (ca. 1961). Courtesy of Michael Werner, New York.
Installation view of “Piero Manzoni” (2024). Courtesy of Michael Werner, New York.
Installation view of “Piero Manzoni” (2024). Courtesy of Michael Werner, New York.
“Piero Manzoni” is on view at Michael Werner, New York, through April 6, 2024.
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