Piero Gilardi: From art to life

As part of Artissima, PAV – Parco Arte Vivente presents From Art to Life, an exhibition devoted to a pivotal period in Piero Gilardi’s career, when he turned away from the conventional art system to engage with social movements.

The second in a series of monographic exhibitions dedicated to PAV’s founding artist, the exhibition focuses on the 1970s and 1980s, extending to works produced in the 2000s. It traces Gilardi’s decisive shift away from object-based art towards radical forms of social engagement, collective care and political emancipation.

Spanning a rich and complex period, the exhibition examines Gilardi’s definitive rejection of the artwork as a consumer commodity and his commitment to working with communities involved in grassroots movements, total institutions and public spaces. At its heart lies his guiding principle that ‘art enters life’, alongside his determination to develop participatory initiatives capable of breaking down social and institutional barriers.

The exhibition highlights Gilardi’s sustained commitment to placing sculpture and performance at the service of individuals and communities. Moving from the creation of objects to the facilitation of collective processes, he embraced public spaces and the street as key sites of artistic intervention, anticipating many of the participatory and socially engaged practices that shape contemporary art today.