Giò Pomodoro biography

Giò Pomodoro, born as Giorgio Pomodoro on November 17, 1930, in Orciano di Pesaro, was an internationally renowned sculptor, goldsmith, engraver, and Italian set designer. He is considered one of the most important abstract sculptors of the 20th century. Younger brother of the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, Giò Pomodoro dedicated his life to experimentation and the creation of artworks ranging from sculpture to set design.
In 1945, the Pomodoro family moved to Pesaro, where Giò attended the Technical Institute for Surveyors, graduating in 1951. Later, between 1952 and 1953, he served in the military in Siena, Bologna, and Florence. During his stay in Florence, he frequently visited local museums and immersed himself in the city's artistic environment. He began exhibiting his first informal artworks at the Galleria Numero.
In 1954, after his father's death, Pomodoro moved to Milan with his mother, sister, and brother Arnaldo. Milan, at that time, was a very lively cultural and artistic center, offering Pomodoro many opportunities to grow as an artist. He began exhibiting his works in various galleries, including the Galleria del Naviglio in Milan and the Galleria Il Cavallino in Venice. In 1956, he was invited to the XXVIII Venice Biennale, where he exhibited a series of silver castings on cuttlefish bone dedicated to the poet Ezra Pound.
The following year, Pomodoro actively participated in the magazine Il Gesto and took part in the Arte Nucleare exhibition at the Galleria San Fedele in Milan. Along with artists such as Piero Dorazio, Gastone Novelli, Giulio Turcato, Tancredi, Achille Perilli, Lucio Fontana and his brother Arnaldo, he organized exhibitions for the Continuità group, presented by art critics like Guido Ballo, Giulio Carlo Argan, and Franco Russoli.
In 1959, he participated in the second edition of Documenta in Kassel, Germany, and the Biennale of Young Artists in Paris, where he won the sculpture prize alongside Anthony Caro with his artwork "Superfici in tensione". In the 1960s, Pomodoro began exploring new forms and themes, including the artworks "Radiali" and "Quadrati". He started staying in the United States between 1966 and 1967, presenting his works at the Marlborough Gallery and the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York.
During the 1970s, Giò Pomodoro dedicated himself to creating monumental artworks at his studio in Querceta di Seravezza in Versilia. In 1978, he created the set designs for the Verdi opera "La forza del destino", performed at the Arena di Verona. In 1980, he designed the set for Mozart's "The Magic Flute", performed at La Fenice in Venice. He also participated in several editions of the Venice Biennale.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Pomodoro continued working on important public commissions and participating in international exhibitions. In 1985, the Dabbeni Contemporary Art Studio in Lugano held a solo exhibition for him, and in 1987 he exhibited at the ancient Oratory of the Passion of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan. In 1990, he organized an exhibition titled "Luoghi scolpiti fra Realtà e Utopia" in Monsummano Terme.
In the 1990s, Giò Pomodoro received numerous international recognitions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture from the International Sculpture Center in 2002. His artworks have been exhibited in prestigious international venues such as the Genia Schreiber University Art Gallery in Tel Aviv and the Veranneman Foundation in Belgium.
Giò Pomodoro passed away on December 21, 2002, in his Milan studio, after dedicating his life to art and sculptural research. His artistic legacy continues to live on through the numerous public and private artworks displayed worldwide, which testify to his relentless search for forms and meanings through sculpture.
Posthumous exhibitions, such as the one at the Ragghianti Foundation in Lucca in 2003 and at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome in 2004, continue to celebrate Giò Pomodoro's contribution to contemporary art, ensuring that his work remains a source of inspiration for future generations.