Fabrizio Plessi, Pioneer of Video Art, Remembered by Longtime Collaborator
Fabrizio Plessi, an Italian artist referred to as the 'barbarian of technology,' has passed away, leading to a retrospective organized by a curator who had a 30-year relationship with him. The curator first encountered Plessi in 1997 at the Scuola di Specializzazione di Siena and went on to curate seven solo shows. Born in Emilia and later becoming a Venetian, Plessi studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, where he also began teaching in 2021. He was a pioneer in utilizing cathode-ray monitors as sculptural elements, evolving from both Arte Povera and Minimalism. His recognition surged after Documenta in 1987, and he worked with brands like Vuitton and designed for Rai, leaving a legacy that legitimized video as an art form and integrated technology with human senses.
Key facts
- Fabrizio Plessi, Italian artist known as 'barbaro della tecnologia,' has died.
- The curator met Plessi in 1997 as a student in Siena and curated seven solo exhibitions of his work.
- Plessi lived and worked in Venice, on the Giudecca island, after moving from Milan.
- He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia and taught there from 2021.
- Plessi pioneered the use of television monitors as sculptural material in contemporary art.
- He was influenced by Nam June Paik and Wolf Vostell, and anticipated Bill Viola.
- He participated in Documenta in 1987 and taught at the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne in the 1990s.
- He collaborated with brands like Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Dior, BMW, Sony, and Swarovski.
- He created stage designs for Frédérick Flamand and Aterballetto, with music by Michael Nyman.
- His late works featured electronic gold and black discs with the misspelling 'Blak.'
Entities
Artists
- Fabrizio Plessi
- Nam June Paik
- Wolf Vostell
- Bill Viola
- Frédérick Flamand
- Michael Nyman
- Francesco Bonami
- André Breton
- Elisa Breton
- Enrico Crispolti
- Edward Said
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Paolo Rosa
- Bianco Valente
- Sarah Ciracì
- Marina Abramović
Institutions
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia
- Scuola di Specializzazione di Siena
- Kunsthochschule für Medien
- Documenta
- Martin Gropius Bau
- Teatro La Fenice
- Rai
- Aterballetto
- Gagosian
- Lisson Gallery
- Hauser and Wirth
- Lia Rumma
- Daniel Templon
- Galleria Continua
- Vuitton
- Calvin Klein
- Dior
- BMW
- Sony
- Swarovski
- Studio Azzurro
- Martin-Gropius-Bau
- Gallerie dell'Accademia
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Giudecca
- Siena
- Milan
- Vienna
- Maiorca
- Valencia
- Moscow
- Oslo
- Berlin
- Recklinghausen
- Cologne
- New York
- Central Park
- Mallorca
- Spain
- Todi
- Germany