Piero Gilardi's Global Artistic Legacy Remembered

Renato Barilli, professor emeritus at the University of Bologna, recalls his friendship with Piero Gilardi (Turin, 1942–2023) during a pivotal moment for Italian art between Pop and Arte Povera. Gilardi's polyurethane works, "more real than real," made him a Pop champion, included with only Michelangelo Pistoletto in a Palazzo Grassi exhibition of top international talents. Supported by gallerist Gian Enzo Sperone, Gilardi had a show at Bologna's La Nuova Loggia, arranged by Barilli. When Sperone shifted to Arte Povera, Gilardi struggled but discovered in the US that Arte Povera was not prominent; instead, Anti-form, Minimalism, Body Art prevailed. He became an advocate, proposing Dutch artists Erik Van Elk and Markus Boezem for La Nuova Loggia. Unable to adapt, he worked in mental health clinics. Later, he returned to his hyper-realist "tappeti natura" (nature carpets), even adding technological movement, though Barilli found these a compromise. Barilli nostalgically recalls the late 1960s as Gilardi's peak as a global phenomenon, noting the need to preserve his plastic materials from decay.