Michelangelo Pistoletto was born in Biella in 1933. In the sixties he was a true source of inspiration and protagonist of the Arte Povera artistic movement. We remember some of his main projects developed during his long career: Quadri specchianti (Mirror Paintings) 1962, Oggetti in meno (Objects in less) 1965-66, Venere degli stracci (Venus of the rags) 1967, Le Stanze (The halls) 1976, L'arte assume la religione (Art takes on religion) 1978, Progetto Arte (Art Project) 1994, Terzo Paradiso (Third Heaven) 2003.
In the 90's, inside an old wool factory in Biella, he founded the art city Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto and the UNIDEE - University of Ideas. In 2003, he was awarded the Golden Lion for his entire career at the Venice Biennale. In 2004, Pistoletto received an honorary doctorate in political science from the University of Turin and, in 2007, the Wolf Foundation Prize in Arts in Jerusalem.
In 2013, he received the Imperial Praemium of Tokyo. In 2015, he was awarded a second honorary degree from the Universidad de las Artes de La Habana (University of the Arts) in Cuba. In 2019, the Lecce Academy of Fine Arts will award him the Laurea Honoris Causa.
From 2015, Michelangelo Pistoletto created the Renaissance Forums: meetings and activities are organized twice a year around the world to deepen and spread the philosophy of the Third Paradise through the methodology demopraxy.
With the participation of GALLERIA CONTINUA.
Photo credit: Courtesy Cittadellarte
