Afro Basaldella retrospective at Ca' Pesaro in Venice

Ca' Pesaro in Venice is hosting a retrospective of Afro Basaldella (1912–1976), the Italian abstract expressionist. The exhibition focuses on his 1950s work, including sketches from his lagoon period and a self-portrait reflecting earlier Cubist influences. Key works like 'La Città' (1951), 'Villa Fleurent', and 'Cronaca Nera' show his shift from figuration to a free, color-driven abstraction. Critic Cesare Brandi described Afro's painting as arising from interiority without fear of subjectivity. Afro's international career peaked between 1955 and 1968, supported by New York's Galleria Viviano; he won the Premio Comune di Venezia at the 1956 Biennale. He exchanged ideas with American painters Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning. In the 1970s, his canvases became more gestural with thicker brushstrokes, creating evocative 'dark' images. The exhibition also includes a room dedicated to his friends, alongside works by Scialoja and Burri. The show highlights Afro's role in transatlantic artistic exchange, driven by American market interest.