Paolo Icaro on Poetry, Instability, and the Soul of Sculpture
Paolo Icaro, an Italian sculptor born in Turin in 1936, shares insights about his connection to both poetry and sculptural art. Since 2008, he has been a member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca. Icaro's notable contributions to the art world include participation in significant exhibitions during the 1960s, such as 'Arte Povera – Im spazio' in Genoa (1967) and 'Live in Your Head. When Attitudes Become Form' at Kunsthalle in Bern (1969). His solo exhibitions feature PAC in Milan (1982) and 'Paolo Icaro Antologia 1964-2019' at GAM Turin in 2019. In a conversation with Davide Dal Sasso, he likens poetry to 'the light of a lighthouse' and reflects on a transformative meeting with Brazilian poet Murilo Mendes, highlighting themes of rhythm, fragility, and instability in sculpture, inspired by Giacometti, Degas, and Duchamp.
Key facts
- Paolo Icaro was born in Turin in 1936.
- He participated in 'Arte Povera – Im spazio' at Galleria la Bertesca, Genoa, 1967.
- He participated in 'Ra3. Arte povera più azioni povere' at Arsenali dell’antica Repubblica Marinara di Amalfi, 1968.
- He participated in 'Deposito d’arte presente' in Turin, 1968.
- He participated in 'Op Losse Schroeven' at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1969.
- He participated in 'Live in Your Head. When Attitudes Become Form' at Kunsthalle, Bern, 1969.
- He has been a member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca since 2008.
- Solo exhibitions include PAC Milan (1982), Palazzina dei Giardini di Modena (1987), Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento (1995), Galleria Lorenzelli Milan (2006), Galleria P420 Bologna (2012), GAM Turin (2019), Galleria P420 Bologna (2019), and Galleria Lia Rumma Naples (2021).
- Brazilian poet Murilo Mendes wrote the first critical text on Icaro's work in the late 1950s.
- Icaro cites influences including Giacometti, Medardo Rosso, Degas, Duchamp, Brancusi, and Paul Klee.
- The interview was conducted by Davide Dal Sasso.
- The interview was published on Artribune.
Entities
Artists
- Paolo Icaro
- Murilo Mendes
- Giacometti
- Medardo Rosso
- Edgar Degas
- Marcel Duchamp
- Constantin Brâncuși
- Paul Klee
- Mario Luzi
- Wallace Stevens
- Davide Dal Sasso
Institutions
- Accademia Nazionale di San Luca
- Galleria la Bertesca
- Arsenali dell’antica Repubblica Marinara di Amalfi
- Stedelijk Museum
- Kunsthalle Bern
- PAC Milano
- Palazzina dei Giardini di Modena
- Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento
- Galleria Lorenzelli
- Galleria P420
- GAM Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Torino
- Galleria Lia Rumma
- Artribune
- Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca
Locations
- Turin
- Italy
- Genoa
- Amalfi
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Milan
- Modena
- Trento
- Bologna
- Naples
- Rome