Gaetano Pesce has created works exhibited in the most important museums in the world. An exhibition will be dedicated to him and will soon open its doors in Milan.
Gaetano Pesce in Piazza Duomo during the inauguration of the installation for the Fuorisalone “Suffering Maestà”
The well-known Italian architect and designer died at the age of 84 in New York, where he had resided for years Gaetano Pesce. The Ligurian artist has left an indelible mark on his sector, with extremely innovative works, especially regarding the use of materials. Aware of the power of art and its enormous value in political and social life, he has often linked his production to contemporaneity, precisely to make us reflect on crucial topics on which to keep our attention high. There has been no shortage of prestigious awards and recognitions for his work. An exhibition in his honor will soon open in Milan.
Gaetano Pesce on display in Milan
From 15 to 23 April, on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana (piazza Pio the exhibition Nice To See You by Gaetano Pesce. Around thirty works by the artist are available to visitors, including some recently created (between 2023 and 2024), selected for their dual power: functionality and the ability to make people reflect.
“What we want to convey is rich in meaning, not only does form follow function, but it has a very important third element, namely meaning, which can make us reflect on a political, socio-economic, religious, philosophical, behavioral and personal level.“: this is the main message of the exhibition, open every day with free admission from 10am to 6pm. Among the works featured: Massage Sofa, Gaetana Lamp, Leag Shelf and the large installation L’Uomo Stanco. The latter is a shelf in the shape of a four-legged man: it is the metaphor of the greatness of man, capable of great feats but now exhausted, incapable of creative spark, no longer capable of being surprised and inspired by what surrounds him .
Gaetano Pesce has died: the Italian architect and designer was 84 years old
Gaetana by Gaetano Pesce
After having also been at the MoMA, it is today in the garden of the Triennale Up 5 lounge armchair with Up 6 pouf, an installation created in 1969 in polyurethane foam covered in elasticated fabric. The shape of the object aims to recall the concept of the “woman with the ball and chain” and is therefore a reflection on the female condition and the woman, on the one hand a symbol of acceptance by her nature but on the other an eternal prisoner of society. The armchair is actually part of a series that includes seven models in total. This one in particular has an anthropomorphic silhouette with sinuous and sensual lines that recall the fertility of the female body.
Up 5 lounge armchair with Up 6 pouf
The most important works of Gaetano Pesce
Italy on the cross dates back to 2011 and aroused a lot of controversy, especially in political circles at the time of its first presentation to the public. The work was in fact a criticism of the conditions of the country, an invitation to reflect on the problems that were “crucifying” it. It is, in fact, a crucifix from which hangs a bloody shape, the shape of which is unmistakably that of the Italian peninsula. By referring to the crucifixion of Christ, it aims at the same time to be both a criticism and a message of hope, of rebirth (therefore of resurrection). It was exhibited at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan and at the Venice Biennale.
Italy on the Cross
One of the most relevant installations exhibited at Milan Design Week 2019 was by Gaetano Pesce Suffering Majesty, displayed in front of the Cathedral, was the symbol of the woman imprisoned by male prejudices, the victim of violence, abuse and prejudice. The work, whose shape recalls the female body tied to a spherical footstool (8 meters high), was presented in a delicate moment of heated debate on the issue of equality, universal rights and gender equality.
Gaetano Pesce recently collaborated with Bottega Veneta: first he designed the set of the Maison’s Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show, then he designed the installation Come to See, at the Milanese flagship in via Montenapoleone. The artist’s latest collaboration was with Doublesoul for the creation of a colorful line of socks, i Heartshoe. The brand paid tribute to Pesce with a post on Instagram which reads:
We are endlessly grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with him on a project that makes his art accessible to all and exemplifies his ability to see beauty in the mundane and create art that simply makes people happy. We know that his legacy will live on in the colorful world that he has built on his incredible career and that wherever he is, he smiles.
