Aldo Grazzi

Aldo Grazzi (Pomponesco, Mantua, 1954 – Perugia, 2023) was Professor of Painting and Extra-Medial Techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.

Aldo Grazzi began his artistic practice in the early 1970s, developing a conceptual approach expressed through various forms such as photography and video art. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. During the 1980s, his artistic research evolved and intertwined with curatorial activities for events and exhibitions.

He established a clear break from the Transavanguardia movement of that decade and contributed to the emergence of a new cultural climate, particularly in Milan, promoted by a new generation of emerging artists. Increasingly, his works incorporated new methods that required rigorous technical discipline, leading him back towards the act of painting. His travels to Africa (1987–93) provided the opportunity to create works in collaboration with members of the Maasai and Samburu tribes.

In the 1990s, he participated in the vibrant cultural scene in Bologna associated with the Neon Gallery. Gradually, Grazzi felt the need to pursue his artistic path independently, focusing entirely on his own aesthetic approach and distancing himself from the previously collaborative climate.

He went on to develop a gestural painting practice that became a virtuosic exercise — complete, immersive, and encompassing.