Ugo Attardi biography
UGO ATTARDI
Ugo Attardi, born on March 12, 1923, in Sori, was an undisputed protagonist of contemporary Italian art. From a young age, he showed interest in painting, influenced by his paternal uncle, who was also a painter. After moving to Palermo with his family, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts and the faculty of Architecture, laying the foundations for his future artistic career. In 1945, driven by the desire to immerse himself in a more stimulating environment, he moved to Rome, where he came into contact with Pietro Consagra and Renato Guttuso.
In Rome, the post-war period offered Attardi a climate of cultural rebirth that deeply influenced his art. In 1948, together with Carla Accardi, Antonio Sanfilippo, Pietro Consagra and other artists, he founded the movement "Forma Uno", which promoted an abstract language. However, Attardi developed divergent views from the group, leaning towards a figurative and visionary expression. This shift materialized in the 1950s, when he began to draw inspiration from masters such as Francis Bacon and George Grosz.
His expressionist style became a distinctive feature of Ugo Attardi's artworks, combining emotional tension and psychological depth.
Among his first significant participations stand out the XXVI and XXVII Venice Biennales, respectively in 1952 and 1954. In the same years, Attardi was also politically active, joining the Italian Communist Party and collaborating with the magazine "Città Aperta". These elements deeply influenced Ugo Attardi's artworks, which often tackled social and political themes with a personal and innovative vision.
In 1961, Attardi founded the group "Il Pro e il Contro", continuing his artistic research through exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. A crucial moment in his career was his participation in 1963 in the exhibition "Contemporary Italian Paintings" in Australia, followed by the traveling exhibition "Peintures italiennes d'aujourd'hui" in the Middle East and North Africa. These events consecrated painter Attardi on the international scene, bringing his artworks to very diverse cultural contexts.
In the 1970s, a trip to Spain marked a turning point in his artistic production, pushing him towards the rediscovery of the classics and the deepening of historical themes. This period was characterized by the creation of monumental artworks, including the fresco "La nuova Somalia", commissioned in 1973 for the Parliament of Mogadishu. Although this artwork was destroyed during the war, it remains a symbol of Attardi's ability to address universal themes with a unique sensitivity.
Besides painting, Ugo Attardi successfully devoted himself to sculpture, creating works of great emotional and symbolic impact. Among the most famous are "Il Vascello della Rivoluzione", a tribute to the bicentennial of the storming of the Bastille, now located at EUR in Rome, and "Ulisse", installed at Battery Park, New York. These artworks by Ugo Attardi demonstrate his ability to engage with public space, creating sculptures that combine aesthetic values and profound meanings.
Throughout his career, Attardi also created important artworks for private collections and museums. Among these are "Nudo" and "Roma", both examples of his mastery in the use of color and composition. These works, along with many other artworks by Ugo Attardi, are today housed in museums and private collections worldwide, testifying to his artistic relevance.
The 1980s and 1990s saw growing attention towards Ugo Attardi's artworks. In 1983, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris dedicated an event and a ballet inspired by his works. In the same years, he participated in important exhibitions such as the International Contemporary Art Expo in Milan and the ICAF in London. In 2003, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic awarded him the Prize for Culture in the Art Sector, an institutional recognition highlighting his contribution to Italian art and culture.
In the last years of his life, Attardi continued to be a prominent figure in Italian art. In 2006, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded him the title of Grand Officer of the Republic. His passing, which occurred on July 20, 2006, in Rome, marked the end of an extraordinary career but left an artistic legacy that continues to influence and inspire new generations.