NEW YORK, NY.- The Nohra Haime Gallery began its presentation 1980s Italy, this past October 17th, where it will remain on view through November 5th, 2022. The exhibition features Italian artists from the 1980s, an exciting time in Italy where Arte povera, conceptual art and the Transvanguardia movements converged. The exhibition features the most prominent artists from the times.

Alighiero Boetti and Laura Grisi, both included in this exhibition, exemplify the influence Arte povera had on their works, however they are also considered original examples of international conceptual art. Boetti’s Cinque X Cinque = Venticinque epitomizes his interest in systems of classification and non-Western traditions.

The Transvanguardia artists represented in this exhibition: Francesco Clemente, Sandro Chia, Enzo Cucchi, Piero Gilardi and Mimmo Palladino, wanted to return to the past, to figurative painting. One of the first exhibitions they had as a group was in the 1980 Venice Biennale, where their works stood out for their diverse styles and common vision.




They intentionally depict figuration, and they recuperated the importance of the image and narrative, as opposed to the concept. Interestingly though, they were still heavily influenced by arte povera and the use of new materials and exploration of texture. This is clearly seen in Palladino’s pictorial representations of Untitled (Blue) and Untitled (Green). Sandro Chia’s Unitled, shows his larger-than-life figures, also reflecting their human vulnerability and sensibility.

Gilardi, although not one of the most famous Transvanguardia artists, was a fundamental player and he was known for his use of extremely varied material and texture seen in both Foglie and Pave Piuma.

A unique work by Salvo in his characteristic impasto bright paintings enhances the exhibition with its view of a series of tumbstones in a cementery.

The legacy of these Transvanguardia artists can be seen in contemporary artists such as Silvio Merlino with his painting of La Stanza delle Lucciole where he uses diverse materials in a traditional painting, evoking an extraordinary texture and emotional directness. Nicola Bolla reflects this return to the past focusing on the image in Untitled (Bird), as well as through materiality, a reading between object and design in Vanitas, Black Panther. Pieralli)(Favi, a young duo working at the time, created their floor collage of a galactic universe.