Grazia Varisco on Her Long Career and the Poetics of Chance

Grazia Varisco, born in Milan in 1937, reflects on her artistic journey as a member of Gruppo T, founded in Milan in October 1959 by Giovanni Anceschi, Davide Boriani, Gianni Colombo, and Gabriele De Vecchi. Varisco joined shortly after, though she was initially excluded from the group's first exhibition due to cultural conditioning that marginalized women. She questioned this exclusion, leading to her inclusion. Varisco's work is rooted in Kinetic and Programmed Art, emphasizing perception, chance, and the viewer's interaction. She taught Theory of Perception at the Accademia di Brera for many years. Her series include Silenzi, Quadri Comunicanti, RotoReteRossa, Extrapagine, and Tavole magnetiche, which explore the interplay between program and chance, inspired by Jacques Monod's "Chance and Necessity." In 2016, her exhibition "Il corpo come campo dei sensi" was held at the Museo di Arte contemporanea di Lissone. Varisco also worked in graphic design for Rinascente. Her works are tangible objects (wood, glass, steel, magnets) that become aesthetic experiences only through interaction, echoing Gruppo T's instruction "si prega di toccare" (please touch). The article, written by Stefania Gaudiosi, positions Varisco's art as a bridge between the factual and experiential, offering a tactile counterpoint to digital dematerialization.