Italian artist Fausto Delle Chiaie dies at 82, known for street museum
Fausto Delle Chiaie, an Italian artist renowned for turning the streets of Rome into an open-air museum, passed away at the age of 82 on July 4, 2026. He studied at the Scuola Libera del Nudo and began his artistic journey in the 1970s, drawing inspiration from Pop Art and Arte Povera. In 1986, he released the Manifesto Infrazionista, introducing the term "infra-action." The following year, he showcased numerous pieces on Pincio hill, effectively establishing an informal museum. His art gained recognition in Italy and internationally, highlighted by the "Scala Mercalli" exhibition in 2008. Documentaries chronicled his life, and he published his autobiography in 2018. In 2021, a petition for the Bacchelli Law amassed over 27,000 signatures, leading to him receiving support for struggling artists in July 2023.
Key facts
- Fausto Delle Chiaie died on July 4, 2026, in Rome at age 82.
- He trained at the Scuola Libera del Nudo of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma.
- He published the Manifesto Infrazionista in 1986, introducing 'infra-action'.
- In 1987 he began exhibiting works on the Pincio hill, creating an open-air museum.
- His museum later moved to Galleria Sciarra and Piazza Augusto Imperatore.
- Achille Bonito Oliva described his work as 'a democracy of the gaze'.
- He exhibited in Brussels, Antwerp, Limerick, and at the Auditorium of Rome in 2008.
- Documentary 'Robaccia Rubbish' was shown at the 2011 Venice Biennale.
- In 2018 he had a project at MACRO and published autobiography 'Fuori catalogo'.
- In 2023 the Council of Ministers granted him the Bacchelli Law benefit.
Entities
Artists
- Fausto Delle Chiaie
- Achille Bonito Oliva
- Dario Acocella
- Domenico Iannacone
- Pino Giannini
Institutions
- Scuola Libera del Nudo
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
- MACRO
- Palazzo Merulana
- Museo Nazionale Concordiese di Portogruaro
- Collezione Farnesina
- Auditorium di Roma
- Castello di Rivara
- Rai 3
- Treccani
- Consiglio dei Ministri
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Pincio
- Galleria Sciarra
- Piazza Augusto Imperatore
- Ara Pacis
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Antwerp
- Limerick
- Ireland
- Venice
- Portogruaro