Mario Radice biography
Mario Radice, born in 1898 in Como, was a Italian artist of great importance, considered one of the pioneers of abstractionism. His artistic training began at a young age, when, in 1912, he took private lessons from Achille Zambelli and Pietro Clerici, two important local artists.
During his military service between 1918 and 1920, he had the opportunity to travel across Europe, coming into contact with the artistic avant-gardes of the post-war period. After his discharge, Radice dedicated himself to university veterinary studies, but soon abandoned this path to work as a worker in a paper mill. This experience allowed him to delve into paper and parchment production techniques and, in 1927, he founded his own company to patent a machine for recycling sulfuric acid which he managed to export to a paper mill in Buenos Aires. However, the events linked to the fall of the Wall Street stock market in 1929 led him to lose the capital accumulated in Argentina.
In the twenties, Mario Radice was fascinated by the problems of rationalist architecture and joined a group of artists and architects who share the same interest in the renewal of arts and architecture. In 1927, he exhibited for the first time in Como and began to participate in exhibitions and artistic collaborations with important rationalist architects such as Giuseppe Terragni, Piero Lingeri and Luigi Figini.
From 1930 , Mario Radice dedicated himself completely to painting and carried out a series of decorative works, including the frescoes in the Casa del Fascio in Como, created between 1933 and 1936. This work represents the first Italian example of art abstract set in a public building and is considered one of his most significant works.
During the 1930s and 1940s, he became friends with important cultural figures, such as Filippo Tommaso Marinetti , and continued to exhibit in numerous exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. His fame grew further when in 1958 he obtained a personal room at the Venice Biennale and received the prestigious Einaudi Prize.
In the sixties and seventies, he held numerous exhibitions in important galleries Italian and creates works for churches and other religious buildings. His ability to combine geometric shapes in a harmonious and lyrical way distinguishes him from the abstractionists of Northern and Eastern Europe, such as Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian.
Parallel to his artistic activity , Mario Radice dedicates himself to social and cultural commitment, becoming a member of various associations and foundations. He also continues his activity as an art critic for a local newspaper.
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