Lugano
Mario Schifano: A Master of Contemporary Italian Art
Origins and Early Career
Mario Schifano was born on September 20, 1934, in Homs, Syria, where his father worked as an archaeologist at the excavations in Leptis Magna, Libya. After moving to Italy, Schifano began working at the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, where he completed an apprenticeship that deeply influenced his artistic development.
His debut took place in 1960 with an exhibition at the Galleria La Salita in Rome, titled “Cinque pittori romani: Angeli, Festa, Lo Savio, Schifano, Uncini”, curated by Pierre Restany. From the outset, Schifano attracted critical attention with his monochrome paintings—works that evoked the idea of a photographic screen. Later, his paintings began to incorporate numbers, letters, road signs, and the logos of famous brands like Esso and Coca-Cola, marking the beginning of a unique style that earned him an exclusive contract with American gallerist Ileana Sonnabend.
Rise in the 1960s
During the 1960s, Mario Schifano held numerous solo exhibitions in Rome, Paris, and Milan, receiving significant recognition. Among these were the Lissone Prize in 1961 and the Fiorino Prize in Florence in 1963. In 1962, he took part in the “The New Realists” exhibition at the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York, which marked the peak of his international success.
During this period, Schifano began to explore both Italy’s artistic heritage and Futurism—strong influences that clearly emerged in his later works. In 1964, he presented his first “Anemic Landscapes” at the Venice Biennale. At the same time, he began experimenting with cinema, creating experimental black-and-white short films on 16mm film.
Later Years: Innovation and Collaborations
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Schifano participated in numerous international exhibitions and began collaborating with the psychedelic rock band Le stelle di Mario Schifano, helping to create one of the first live multimedia shows in Italy. Between 1966 and 1967, Schifano developed the series “Ossigeno ossigeno,” “Tuttestelle,” “Oasi,” and “Compagni, compagni,” works that reflect his growing interest in contemporary history and civil engagement.
In 1967, he presented his first feature film, “Anna Carini vista in agosto dalle farfalle,” at Studio Marconi in Milan. This period also marked an ideological and identity crisis for Schifano, during which he briefly declared his intention to abandon painting. However, his passion for art prevailed, leading him to continue creating and experimenting with new techniques and styles.
Schifano’s Legacy
In the following years, Schifano continued to exhibit in solo and group shows both in Italy and abroad. His work stood out for its use of innovative technologies and new materials. Among these was the photographic emulsion technique, which allowed him to transfer television images onto canvas—an approach that helped redefine the contemporary art landscape.
Mario Schifano died on January 26, 1998, at the age of 63, from a heart attack in his studio in Trastevere, Rome. His influence on contemporary Italian art remains significant, and his works continue to be appreciated and studied worldwide.
