Giorgio Colombo: A Photographer's Life in the Italian Art Scene

Giorgio Colombo, a Milanese photographer, has documented the Italian and international art scene for over fifty years. His career began in the 1960s, frequenting avant-garde galleries like Galleria Apollinaire, Galleria Blu, Galleria dell'Ariete, Galleria del Naviglio, and Galleria Schwarz. He developed close relationships with gallerists Franco Toselli and Salvatore Ala. Toselli's gallery, initially De Nieubourg, became a hub for groundbreaking artists such as Michael Asher, Mel Bochner, Sol LeWitt, Richard Serra, Alighiero Boetti, Giuseppe Penone, and Piero Manzoni. Colombo photographed performances by Joan Jonas, Trisha Brown, and others. He was the official photographer for the Panza di Biumo Collection, documenting works by James Turrell, Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin, Donald Judd, and Bruce Nauman at Villa Panza in Varese. His friendship with Alighiero Boetti began in 1970 when he attempted to buy a work; Boetti instead asked him to photograph his art, leading to decades of collaboration. Colombo also documented the Venice Biennale from 1964 to 2003, except 1968 due to protests. He maintains a vast archive of art materials, including rare books and ephemera, and continues to support young artists by purchasing their works.