Francesco Clemente retrospective 'In Between' opens at Triennale Milano

Triennale Milano presents 'Francesco Clemente. In Between', a major retrospective curated by Francesca Pietropaolo and Robert Storr, featuring about seventy works spanning five decades. The exhibition includes pieces never shown before or presented for the first time in Italy, ranging from charcoal drawing to fresco, oil painting, and artist books. Clemente's practice crosses Western and Eastern traditions, including Christian mysticism, Kabbalah, Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, and Afro-Brazilian animistic rituals. Self-portraiture runs throughout, from 'Autoritratto con oro' (1979) to 'After a Poem' (2024). Portraits depict New York acquaintances like Warhol, Basquiat, Morton Feldman, and Allen Ginsberg. Works such as 'Alba' (1997 and 2024) and 'Portrait of Zoë Kravitz' (2025) show evolving formats. The exhibition highlights Clemente's engagement with Indian culture through miniatures made with Indian artisans, and contemporary references like '5-14-2020' created during the Covid-19 pandemic. In an interview, Clemente discusses his travels to India since 1973, his interest in Latin America (Mexico and Brazil), and the role of death in art. He emphasizes the importance of non-reactive language and the pleasure of painting. The exhibition runs until September 6, 2026, and is the last initiative under Stefano Boeri's presidency.