Until June 20, 2025, Kromya Art Gallery in Lugano pays tribute to Giuseppe Spagnulo (Grottaglie, 1936 – Milan, 2016), one of Italy’s most important sculptors of the late 20th century, with an exhibition that explores the primal and dynamic strength of his works, inspired by classical myths and reinterpreted through a contemporary language. Curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, the exhibition Arcaico. Moderno. Futuro: Giuseppe Spagnulo is presented in collaboration with the Giuseppe Spagnulo Archive Association.

The exhibition symbolically opens with a section of the artist’s worktable, a precious keeper of his projective thinking that originates directly from the material. From this surface, the sculptural meditations of Spagnulo come to life through terracotta. The exhibition features around twenty works – Cards, Irons, and Terracotta – created between 1964 and 2013, all marked by a vigorous physicality and power that transcend mere study, becoming true plastic art.

The Cards, treated with iron oxides, charcoal, and volcanic sands, are independent works, never preparatory sketches, presenting a physical force that makes them true plastic bodies. The iron sculptures from the 1970s, in particular, expose the raw material, transforming it into flesh with a powerful gesture that recalls the cuts of Lucio Fontana. The clay, long explored by the artist in his family’s workshop in Grottaglie and studied in Faenza, was chosen for its susceptibility to transformation under the influence of fire, tearing apart without any intent of control.

The exhibition is part of Kromya Art Gallery’s ongoing focus on artists who engage with material and gesture. With the installation curated by Luca Massimo Barbero and Andrea Spagnulo, president of the Giuseppe Spagnulo Archive Association, the exhibition offers a testimony of Italian and European sculpture of the late 20th century, blending innovation with respect for tradition.

The exhibition is accompanied by a monograph available at the gallery, featuring a critical essay by Luca Massimo Barbero and photographic documentation of the exhibited works.

Photo credits: Antonio Maniscalco