Ezio Gribaudo's 'Crazy House' Studio in Turin: A Testament to a Polymath Artist
Ezio Gribaudo (1929–2022, Turin) was a distinguished artist known for his innovative white-on-white relief engravings, which received acclaim from Giorgio de Chirico in 1969. His art achieved global prominence after he participated in the 9th Rome Quadriennale (1965) and won the graphics award at the 33rd Venice Biennale (1966), along with showcasing his work at the 9th São Paulo Biennial (1967). Gribaudo authored 34 monographs with Fratelli Fabbri Editore and curated significant exhibitions, such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Turin (1976) and the Coucou Bazar for Jean Dubuffet (1978). His studio, crafted by architect Andrea Bruno, includes distinctive design features and a garden with a large stone dinosaur, inspired by his trip to the American Museum of Natural History.
Key facts
- Ezio Gribaudo was born in Turin in 1929 and died in 2022.
- Giorgio de Chirico wrote about Gribaudo in 1969, calling him a 'leucophile.'
- Gribaudo won the graphics prize at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966.
- He participated in the 9th Rome Quadriennale in 1965 and the 9th São Paulo Biennial in 1967.
- From 1966, he worked with Fratelli Fabbri Editore on 34 monographs of artists.
- He organized the Peggy Guggenheim Collection exhibition in Turin in 1976.
- He organized the Coucou Bazar show for Jean Dubuffet in 1978, commissioned by FIAT.
- Architect Andrea Bruno designed Gribaudo's studio in 1974.
- The studio features concrete walls with logogriphs made from polystyrene shapes.
- Paola Gribaudo is president of the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti di Torino.
- Gribaudo's cages are a positive symbol, allowing objects to enter and exit freely.
- The dinosaur motif came from a visit to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
- Gribaudo used materials like jute, paper, wood, sand, lead, antimony, bronze, and polystyrene for dinosaur sculptures.
- A stone dinosaur sculpture stands in the garden of the studio.
Entities
Artists
- Ezio Gribaudo
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Tintoretto
- Marc Chagall
- Lucio Fontana
- Joan Miró
- Francis Bacon
- Marcel Duchamp
- Pablo Picasso
- Jean Dubuffet
- Andrea Bruno
- Paola Gribaudo
- Gabriele Cordì
- Menashe Kadishman
Institutions
- Fratelli Fabbri Editore
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna di Torino
- Promotrice delle Belle Arti
- FIAT
- Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti di Torino
- American Museum of Natural History
- Università IULM
- Artribune
Locations
- Turin
- Italy
- Rome
- Venice
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Vallauris
- New York
- Borgo Po
- Mole Antonelliana