Emilio Isgrò biography

Emilio Isgrò is an Italian multidisciplinary artist born on October 6, 1937, in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily. Known for his unique artistic language of "cancellation," Isgrò has left a significant mark on the Italian and international art scene between the 20th and 21st centuries. Besides being a conceptual artist and painter, he is also a poet, writer, playwright, and director. Emilio Isgrò's beginnings date back to 1956, when he published his first poetry collection titled "Fiere del Sud." Even at this time, he showed a preference for experimenting and subverting traditional artistic conventions. In 1964, he created his first cancellations on encyclopedias and books, contributing to the birth and development of visual poetry and conceptual art. After living in Venice as the head of the cultural pages of the Gazzettino from 1960 to 1967, Isgrò moved to Milan, where he still lives and works today. In the following years, his artistic career took a significant turn. In 1966, he held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria 1+1 in Padua and published the Declaration 1, in which he defined his conception of poetry as "general art of the sign." He exhibited in important Milanese galleries such as the Galleria Apollinaire, Galleria del Naviglio, and Galleria Schwarz.
From the 1970s onwards, Emilio Isgrò received increasingly important recognitions. In 1972, he was invited to the Venice Biennale, where he also exhibited in the subsequent years of 1978, 1986, and 1993. He participated in the 1973 Contemporanea exhibition in Rome and in 1977 won first prize at the São Paulo Art Biennial in Brazil. In the same year, he published the novel "Marta de Rogatiis Johnson" with Feltrinelli.
Isgrò is known for his installations and monumental works. In 1979, he presented the installation "Chopin" for 15 pianos at the Rotonda della Besana in Milan, which was reprised in 2001 by American pianist Ophra Yerushalmi at the Guild Hall in East Hampton, USA. In 1982, he represented "Gibella del Martirio" and "San Rocco reads the list of miracles and horrors in Gibellina." Between 1983 and 1985, he published the Sicilian trilogy "The Oresteia of Gibellina."
Emilio Isgrò's works are characterized by the use of cancellations, an act of overwriting or covering that brings to light the concept of cancellation as a creative act. Through the cancellation of words, phrases, or images, Isgrò explores themes such as memory, oblivion, power, and censorship. His works have a profound conceptual depth, inviting viewers to reflect on the meaning of words and their power to influence society.
Throughout his career, Emilio Isgrò has held numerous solo and group exhibitions in important national and international art institutions. In 2001, he was the subject of a major retrospective in the City of Palermo, and in 2013 the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome organized a significant retrospective titled "Modello Italia." In 2019, the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice promoted an important retrospective on Isgrò curated by critic Germano Celant. Emilio Isgrò has received numerous recognitions and awards throughout his career. In 2018, he was awarded the Ambrogino d'oro by the city of Milan. His works are present in important public and private collections, including the Centre George Pompidou in Paris and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Emilio Isgrò has significantly contributed to the evolution of conceptual and visual art in Italy and worldwide. His artistic research, characterized by cancellation as a creative gesture, has influenced generations of artists and continues to be the subject of study and admiration in the context of contemporary art.