Piero Fogliati: A Mid-Career Retrospective and Critical Revaluation

Piero Fogliati (Canelli, 1930 – Turin, 2016) was an artist whose work defies easy categorization, operating autonomously from trends. His practice centered on a dilated, multisensory perception of reality, blending scientific inquiry with poetic balance. Early works like Liquimofono (1966), Prisma meccanico (1967), Rivelatore cromocinetico (1967), and Luce solida (1971) reveal his engagement with optics and perception, creating immersive environments that involve the viewer. Since the 1960s, he built devices borrowing from other disciplines, continuing 20th-century art's focus on color and spectator-space interaction. Critic Lara Vinca Masini called him an inventor in the Enlightenment sense, while Filiberto Menna noted his preference for the future. His recent exhibitions include a 2014 retrospective at GAM Turin, a 2016 show at MAC Lissone, and the 2016 retrospective "Eterotopia" at Dep Art Milan (until August 6), with a publication featuring text by Alberto Zanchetta and entries by Alessandro Trabucco. Fogliati participated in the Venice Biennale in 1978 and 1986. A more complete catalogue and publication of his sketches and writings are desired. In February 1971, he stated his aim to create sensorially and aesthetically enjoyable realities using technological means.