Page 19 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

Giovanni Anselmo (b. 1934, Borgofranco d’Ivrea; d. 2023, Giovanni Anselmo's "Beyond the Horizon" delves into the
Turin) began his career as an artist in Italy in the 1960s. The relationship between nature and art. Anselmo's work often
revelatory experience he lived on the summit of Stromboli incorporates natural elements such as stone, plants, and
volcano one morning in 1965 radically influenced his work. light, creating a dialogue between the organic and the
When the sun’s early rays just peeking over the horizon constructed. This exhibition is a comprehensive analysis of
cast their shadows on the immensity of the sky, the artist the practice of an artist who is considered a key referent in
became aware that he was an integral part of an infinite, Arte Povera yet managed to develop his career avoiding any
ever changing universe. label or classification. Envisioned as a journey, a continuous
Since then, Anselmo focused his interest on the order and flow, this show connects the most emblematic works in
cyclical course of natural phenomena, so that the energy, Anselmo’s career with others created specifically for this
space, time, orientation, magnetic fields, or gravitational occasion. Anselmo was deeply involved in the organization
forces became recurring themes in his production. Using of this exhibition until just a few days before he passed
existing materials, Anselmo created pieces that actively away last December. Therefore, now more than ever, the
and perceptibly present both the latent energy surrounding goal of Giovanni Anselmo. Beyond the Horizon is to faithfully
us here and now and the incommensurate nature of the convey the depth of his vitality, the greatness of his legacy,
dynamics governing the cosmos. and the meaning of his contribution. Curator: Gloria Moure
Giovanni Anselmo's works are located at a fascinating Exhibition organized by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
frontier between the visible and the invisible.
Giovanni Anselmo | Toward the Ultramarine (Verso oltremare), 1984 Stone,
steel wire, slipknot, and acrylic paint on wall 300 x 140 x 3 cm, Collection
of the artist, Turin © Giovanni Anselmo. Photo: © Paolo Mussat Sartor

WORLD of ART 19