Paolo Scheggi biography

Paolo Scheggi, born in Settignano, Florence, in 1940, was an Italian artist among the most representative of the Italian neo-avant-garde of the Sixties . His short but intense life of artistic research led him to explore multiple languages, transforming him into an authentic innovator of the artistic panorama of the time. After spending a period of study in London, in 1961, he moved to Milan, a city that would play a fundamental role in the development of his artistic career. Here he had the opportunity to come into contact with the most famous artists of the time and was immediately noticed by Lucio Fontana, who from that moment followed his research with interest.
Paolo Scheggi's first works consist of assembled sheet metal and material collages, but soon his style evolved towards the famous Intersuperfici. These works, monochrome and composed of three overlapping canvases with elliptical or circular openings, become the matrix of a multifaceted artistic research, which embraces various fields such as painting, architecture, fashion, design, poetry and theatre.
The artist's talent was quickly recognized internationally, and in 1964 he was invited to the exhibition "44 protagonists of structured visuality" curated by Carlo Belloli at the Galleria Lorenzelli of Milan. In 1965, Gillo Dorfles included him in the movement of Object Painting and his work became part of the Nove Tendencjie movement, in close contact with the groups Nul and Zero.
Paolo Scheggi's success was further consolidated in 1966 when he participated in the XXXIII Venice Biennale and was present at the "Weiss auf Weiss" exhibition at the Kunsthalle in Bern, curated by Harald Szeemann.
In 1967 he represented Italy at the V Biennale des Jeunes Artistes in Paris and took part in important international exhibitions such as "The Space of the Image" at Palazzo Trinci in Foligno and the Exposition International des Beaux Arts de Montreal. His artistic research opened up to architectural experimentation in 1964, when he collaborated with the Nizzoli Associati studio as a "plastic operator" and designed Germana Marucelli's new tailor's shop in Milan, creating a "livable experience of plastic integration into architecture". In January 1967, he exhibited the Intercamera plastic for the first time at the Galleria del Naviglio in Milan, marking a turning point in his career. From that moment, Paolo Scheggi's research expands to the world of theater and extends into urban space, going beyond the traditional boundaries of the art gallery. His performances such as the Funeral March and the action Oplà Stick, which took place between Milan, Zagreb and Florence in 1969, are significant examples of this new phase of his artistic production.
In 1970 and 1971, Paolo Scheggi undertook an artistic investigation in a mythical-political key, deepening the relationships with the religious, anthropological and symbolic forms of art. He participated in exhibitions such as "My love" and "Vitality of the negative" in 1970, showing his constant commitment to seeking new expressive forms. His career was tragically interrupted in 1971 when he died in Rome. His artistic legacy continued to influence subsequent generations, and a year after his passing, works such as Tomba della Geometria and 6profetiper6geometrie are exhibited at the XXXVI Venice Biennale . The figure of Paolo Scheggi has been recognized as an example of integration between the arts and as a precursor of Performance Art, anticipating the concepts of interaction and active involvement of the public that would characterize contemporary art. His research continues to inspire artists today, demonstrating that his short artistic life had a lasting impact on Italian and international art.