Alberto Biasi "A Dynamic Meditation"

M. T, (March 24, 2016)
At GR gallery a retrospective of Italian artist and kinetic art pioneer Alberto Biasi, featuring over thirty of his most famous works from the late Sixties until today, from his best known series “Rilievi Ottico- Dinamici”, “Torsioni”, Assemblaggi and his interactive installation "Eco-ombre" 1974-2014, for the first time on view in the US. The exhibition is curated by GR gallery's founder Giovanni Granzotto and its Director Alberto Pasini.

Kinetic art, or kineticism, is an international movement that refers to art of both real and apparent motion. At its heart were artists who were fascinated by the possibilities of movement in art and its potential to create new and more interactive relationships with the viewer. 

Kineticism went beyond the boundaries of the traditional, handcrafted, static object, engaging the viewer and encouraging the idea that the beauty of an object could be manifested through an optical illusion or a mechanical movement.

Biasi's exploration of optical illusions was directly influenced by the observation of natural phenomena. He tried to capture the vibrations and pulsation of nature, such as ripples of raindrops or a sunrise, by translating such ephemeral occurrences and their visual and dynamic aspects in meditative yet mercurial works of art.
 

On view:

In the Rilievi Ottico-Dinamici series, Biasi creates complex wave like patterns by layering strips of colored PVC over an acrylic painting of interweaving geometric motives.

The Torsioni series are created by stacking and rotating PVC lamels, almost always in contrasting colors, to create a dynamic torsion that constantly shifts according to the onlooker’s viewpoint.

The Assemblaggi series are mainly monochrome diptychs and triptychs, created by assembling contrasting combinations of canvas, plastic and tridimensional shapes .

The Performance Eco-ombre (1974-2014) is a phosphorescent interactive environment illuminated by a Wood lamp (a lamp for producing ultraviolet radiation). The audience is invited to stand in front of the Wood light illuminated canvases thus embodying the artist and allowing the surface to "steal" their shadow. Biasi created "Eco" in 1974, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the disbandment of Gruppo N; this work is dedicated to Echo, the nymph of Heaven and Earth, which was reduced to a shadow because of her love for Narcissus.

About the artist: Alberto Biasi, was the founder and leading spokesperson of Gruppo N in 1959 until its disbandment in 1964. He is internationally recognized a quintessential representative of Kinetic and Programmed Art. In the 1960’s Biasi actively participated in Azimut’s art happenings, became a member of the “Nuove Tendenze (New Trends)” movement and was among the founders of the “Programmed Art” movement. He began exhibiting his artwork on an international scale with high profile exhibitions such as the 1965 traveling landmark exhibition “The Responsive Eye” at the MoMA

After experimenting with Kineticism, Alberto Biasi delved into a solitary research to develop new artistic languages which eventually led to several brilliant creative spurts in his career. The artist started collaborating with Studio d'Arte GR 25 years ago. 

Throughout the years, Studio d'Arte GR has organized numerous exhibitions of the artist's work all over the world, among them Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage, MACBA, GNAM and many more. Alberto Biasi's works now belong to some of the most important museums and permanent collections among which the MoMA’s, Rome’s GNAM and Saint Petersburg's Hermitage.

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