italian art 1950s – ’70s

Giancarlo and Danna Olgiati’s interest in abstractionism has guided their collecting criteria from the outset, orienting them towards Italian experimental art produced during the first two decades of the post-war period. From the 1950s to the early ’70s, artists throughout Europe were exploring the possibility of depicting a world that was still devastated by the destruction and suffering inflicted by two world wars. Two different abstract trends emerged in Italian art, representing a key moment of connection between the historical avant-gardes of the early 20th century and contemporary art. From the Spatialism of Lucio Fontana, whose creative path was directly referenced by the work of Yves Klein, to the Art Informel of Alberto Burri and Emilio Vedova; from the Forma Uno group with Carla Accardi, Pietro Consagra and Piero Dorazio, to Italian Pop Art with the artists of the Piazza del Popolo school (Franco Angeli, Tano Festa and Mario Schifano), through to the complete annihilation of previous artistic experience achieved by Enrico Castellani and Piero Manzoni, the Olgiati Collection boasts some of the most representative works of the time.