Born in Borgofranco d’Ivrea in 1934, Giovanni Anselmo lives and works between Turin and Stromboli. After having experimented with traditional painting and graphic design as a self-taught artist, he turned to conceptual art; in 1967 he took part in the exhibition “ConTempL’azione” at three Turin galleries Christian Stein, Sperone, and ll Punto, joining the group of artists got together by critic Germano Celant under the name of Arte Povera. Since the early works of the 60s his research has been aimed at highlighting the potential presence of the invisible in the visible and the energy inherent in matter through combinations of materials and objects of contrary value (technological and natural, heavy and light, organic and inorganic), obtaining through this process the maximum expression of the dialectical deal. All Anselmo’s works came from revealing the forces produced by the elements while encountering in space, such as the magnetic needle that indicates a direction in the compass as an expression of forces. During the ’80s, he elaborated a series of works made of stone blocks (such as Verso oltremare from 1984) often hung by thin steel cables, alluding to the potential and only apparent weight loss and tension towards “the beyond”. In 1990 he represented Italy at the 44th Venice Biennale and received the Golden Lyon for Painting.

In 2016 he was awarded the prize “Presidente della Repubblica” from the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca. His first solo exhibition was held in 1968 at Galleria Sperone in Turin, followed by numerous exhibitions in museums and institutions around the world: Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Roma (2019), Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venice (2017), Museum of Contemporary Art – Castello di Rivoli, Turin (2016), Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Saint-Étienne (2015), Museumcultuur Strombeek, Gent (2014), Kunstmuseum Winterthur (2013), MAMBO, Bologna (2006), Museum Kurhaus Kleve (2004), The Renaissance Society, Chicago (1997), Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Nice (1996), Centro Galego de Arte Contemporanea, Santiago de Compostela (1995), Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva (1993), Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (1990), Musée d’Art Contemporain, Lyon and Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna, Modena (1989), Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1885), Musée de Grenoble, Grenoble and Stedelijk Van Abbenmuseum, Eindhoven (1980), Kunsthalle, Basel (1979), Kabinett für aktuelle Kunst, Bremen (1975), Kunstmuseum, Lucerne (1973). Among the international exhibitions: Venice Biennale (2007, 1990, 1986, 1980, 1978, 1972), San Paolo Biennial (1994), Documenta VII (1982) and V (1972), Sydney Biennial (1976) and Biennial of Istanbul (2015).

Giovanni Anselmo took part in group exhibitions in institutions such as: Metropolitan Museum of Manila (2020), MAMC, Saint-Etienne Métropole (2019), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (2018), National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome (2017), Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2016), The Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo (2015), Kunstverein, Düsseldorf (2014), MoMA, New York (2013, 2010), Kunstmuseum, Basel (2012), La Triennale, Milan and Palazzo Fortuny, Venice (2011), Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva (2009), MART, Rovereto and Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2008), Museum of Art, Tel Aviv (2007), Museu d’Art Contemporani, Barcelona (2006), Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris (2004), Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and MAXXI, Rome (2003), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2002), Castello di Rivoli, Turin (2000, 1999), Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (1996, 1991), Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (1995), Guggenheim Museum, New York (1994), Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin (1989), Kunstverein, Frankfurt (1987), Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1985), The Museum of Modern Art, New York (1984), Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (1980), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1979), The Art Institute, Chicago (1977), Kunsthalle, Cologne (1974). In 2011 he exhibited at Galleria Fumagalli in Bergamo in the group show “ACMN. Giovanni Anselmo, Enrico Castellani, Maurizio Mochetti, Maurizio Nannucci “, of which the catalog was published in 2018.

View curriculum →

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Switch On 3

Opening 23 February, 2017
24 February to 1 April, 2017

Exhibition  →

Corpi in azione / Corpi in visione
Esperienze e indagini artistiche 1965/1980

Opening 18 April, 2013
19 April to 15 June, 2013

Exhibition  →

ACMN – Anselmo, Castellani, Mochetti, Nannucci

Opening 28 May, 2011
31 May to 8 October, 2011

Exhibition  →