Italian gallerist Antonio Tucci Russo dies at 79

Antonio Tucci Russo, the Italian gallerist known for his support of Arte Povera and sculpture, passed away on April 21, 2023, at the age of 79. He was born in 1944 in Carema and established Galleria Tucci Russo in Turin in 1975 alongside his wife, Lisa, debuting with a solo exhibition by Pier Paolo Calzolari. The gallery was located in the same building as the studio of Mario and Marisa Merz. Tucci Russo showcased a range of artists, including Giovanni Anselmo, Mario and Marisa Merz, and Tony Cragg, whose first exhibition took place in 1984. In 1994, the gallery relocated to a former textile mill in Torre Pellice, and in 2017, a second venue, Tucci Russo Chambres d'Art, opened in central Turin. Prior to launching his gallery, he spent five years at Gian Enzo Sperone's gallery and co-founded the underground publishing house Pitecanthropus in 1964. His funeral service took place on April 24 at the Waldensian temple in Torre Pellice.