Lucio Fontana: Retrospective Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris

25 April – 24 August, 2014 11 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris T. +33 1 53 67 40 00 www.mam.paris.fr/en

Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) is considered one of the greatest visionaries ofthe 20th century, his work deeply influencing several generations of artists,from Yves Klein to the present. This major retrospective in Paris bringstogether more than 200 sculptures, paintings, ceramics and installations toprovide an overall view of his atypical path and his ever changing styles.

The show displays and extraordinary body of work ranging from the 1920’sto Fontana’s death in 1968, naturally structured by the artist’s key cycles:primitive and abstract sculptures, drawings, polychrome ceramics, Spatialistworks, punctured canvases, Art Informel works, installations, Tagli (cuts),Nature, Fine di Dio, Olii,Venezie, Metalli and Teatrini etc, oscillating betweenthe clean conceptual gesture and the baroque profusion of colors andmaterials. The exhibition, presented in collaboration with the FondazioneLucio Fontana, highlights the diversity of his work, between abstraction andfiguration, metaphysical quest and incarnation, utopia and kitsch,technological fascination and amorphous materials. His slashed canvases,iconic works of modern art, are brought into confrontation with his lesser-known pieces, in particular his 1930’s sculpture and his ceramics.

“Lucio Fontana: Rediscovery of a Masterpiece” Tornabuoni Art - 16 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris - Until June 21

A second Paris show dedicated to Fontana centers around a canvastitled Le Jour, which disappeared for 30 years. Once it was found, key todiscovering its provenance was a film that showed the creation of thepainting. The footage captures a performance at the home of artist JefVerheyen in Knokke, Belgium. On Verheyen’s request, Fontana puncturedthe canvas making it his own. A clip of the film can be watched here.

CONCETTOSPAZIALE, ATTESE (CONCEPT SPATIAL, ATTENTES) 1965

© MUSÉE D'ARTMODERNE /ROGER-VIOLLET © LUCIOFONTANA / SIAE/ ADAGP, PARIS2014

SCULTURA ASTRATTA (SCULPTURE ABSTRAITE), 1934

COLLECTION FONDAZIONE LUCIO FONTANA, MILAN© LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

RETRATO DI TERESITA (PORTRAIT DE TERESITA), 1940

COLLECTION FONDAZIONE LUCIO FONTANA, MILAN© LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

SCULTURA SPAZIALE (SCULPTURE SPATIALE), 1947

© CENTRE POMPIDOU, MNAM-CCI,DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS / CHRISTIANBAHIER / PHILIPPE MIGEAT © LUCIOFONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

IL GUERRIERO (LE GUÉRRIER), 1949

COLLECTION PARTICULIÈRE © GALERIE KARSTEN GREVE/PHOTO SASA FUIS,COLOGNE © LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

CONCETTO SPAZIALE, ATTESE (CONCEPT SPATIAL, ATTENTES), 1959

© LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014 © MUSÉE D'ART MODERNE / ROGER-VIOLLET

CONCETTO SPAZIALE, I QUANTA (CONCEPT SPATIAL, I QUANTA), 1960

COLLECTION FONDAZIONE LUCIO FONTANA, MILAN© LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

CONCETTO SPAZIALE (CONCEPT SPATIAL), 1961

COLLECTION PARTICULIÈRE, COURTESYSPERONE GALLERY, NEW YORK. © LUCIOFONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

CONCETTO SPAZIALE (CONCEPT SPATIAL), 1962

COURTESY TORNABUONI ART, PARIS © LUCIOFONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2014

CONCETTO SPAZIALE, NEW YORK 10 (CONCEPT SPATIAL, NEW YORK 10), 1962

COLLECTION FONDAZIONE LUCIO FONTANA, MILAN. © LUCIO FONTANA / SIAE / ADAGP, PARIS 2013