Lucio Fontana Italian, 1899-1968

Lucio Fontana was an Italian sculptor and painter, a pioneer of spatialism and the leading figure of the postwar Milanese avant-garde. Born in Argentina, his family moved to Milan in 1905. Heavily influenced by Futurism, his style quickly evolved towards a radical questioning of traditional painting. In 1949, he began his famous "Concetti Spaziali" (Spatial Concepts), piercing or slashing the canvas to create a new space. This innovative approach aimed at "giving the concept of infinity" marked a decisive step in the history of abstract art. His "Tagli" (Slashes) and "Buchi" (Holes) literally tore through the medium and rejected the flat surface. During the 1960s, Fontana transposed his spatial vision to sculpture with his pierced metal "Natura", and produced immersive environments combining light and movement. A forerunner of kinetic and conceptual art, his work profoundly influenced contemporary art.