Gastone Biggi's 'Suspended Painting' on View in Cagliari

Palazzo di Città in Cagliari hosts a comprehensive retrospective of Gastone Biggi (Rome, 1925 – Tordenaso, 2014), spanning nearly sixty years of his artistic journey. The exhibition, titled 'Gastone Biggi. Il canto sospeso della pittura,' presents 160 works including paintings and works on paper. Biggi began painting in 1944 after being imprisoned and tortured by Germans, escaping and recovering in hospital. His early work moved from figurative to informal, experimenting with materials like sands, waxes, and plasters in the 1950s. Influenced by Abstract Expressionism, he adopted a controlled drip technique. The 1970s cycles 'Continui e Variabili' explored the expressive potential of the dot as an infinite code. The 1980s 'Canti' reintroduced color with gestural, swirling compositions reminiscent of Kandinsky. In 2005, Biggi authored the 'Manifesto del Realismo Astratto,' opposing engaged painting as a 'cultural tragedy.' Later cycles include works dedicated to New York, heron trajectories, 'Puntocromie' featuring floating galaxies, and the final 'Fleurs' (2010). His last work, 'Partitura firmamentale,' appears as a prelude to the end. The exhibition offers an exhaustive overview of the Roman artist's career, curated by Roberta Vanali.