30 Oct GILLO DORFLES: THE KINETIC GARD

Programmed and kinetic art is taking revenge.

Born in the late 1950s – the first exhibition in Italy was organized in Milan from Olivetin 1962, with the presentation of Umberto Eco – represented the last revolutionary season ofEuropean art. Its followers, who preferred to be called researchers rather than artists,in love with the various aspects concerning visual perception, which they approached withalmost methods scientific, they created works in the name of movement, with the aim ofinvolving the spectator not only in the fruition, but in the very creation of the work of art.

The kinetics also revived the utopia of identity between art and politics: they were indeedthe only current which in Europe, after the war, raised a political problem and questionedthe true meaning of art which, among other things, should no longer be a privilege of asmall circle of collectors and admirers.

In short, art for everyone. The success was international, thanks also to Slavic and SouthAmerican artists, while to decree its success in Italy were above all the groups, such asthe T Group of Milan and the N Group of Padua.

Internationally famous became the Zero Group (Germany, 1958) and the GRAV (Paris 1960)with the participation of various artists. Teamwork, work in common, was the spirit that animated the various groups, butindependent artists have had and still have an important role, from Bruno Munari,multifaceted and authentic teacher, unfortunately passed away, to Getulio Alviani.

To the revenge that kinetic art is being granted, with a return of international interest aftera period of oblivion, Ferruccio Gard also actively participates, one of the most prominentindependent artists.

Of Valle d’Aosta-Piedmontese origins and Venetian by adoption, he signed his first neo-constructivists and kinetics paintings in 1969.

His art, while remaining in the context of “kineticism”, moves within moments of atelevision puncture of colored pixels that, when enlarged, refer to the reticule of coloredtesserae by Paul Signac while making the cicisbeo with the great French painting figurative,from Manet to Courbet, and with our Titian and Caravaggio.

Gillo Dorfles, Milan, October 2014.