EMILIO PRINI
(Stresa, 1943 – Roma, 2016)
Leading exponent of Arte Povera and of the first experiences in conceptualism, since his debut in 1967, Emilio Prini has exerted a strong influence on artists, critics, and curators, while always remaining an elusive and enigmatic figure. In fact, following a particularly productive and intense debut in which he took part in numerous exhibitions (among the fundamental exhibitions of this period are Information, curated by Kynaston McShine, When Attitudes Become Form by Harald Szeemann and Op Losse Schroven by Wim Beeren and Edy de Wilde, all fundamental for the evolution and establishment of Arte Povera) in 1971, he stopped cultivating close relations with the art world. It is no coincidence that his artistic career revolves around a convinced resistance to the overexposure of the artistic world: according to Prini, the most radical gesture an artist can make is to refuse to participate in the commodification of art. Thus, in 1971, in the catalogue of the exhibition Arte Povera, held at the Kunstverein in Munich, he left the pages dedicated to him completely blank; quite similarly, in 2007, he exhibited an empty room in Rome. Indeed, emptiness is not art: it is authentic, therefore it cannot be copied. He always refused to replicate an original idea, opposing the concept of reproducible works and exhibitions, also explaining the apparent lack of prolificacy in his production. Nonetheless, Prini is certainly an original artist, whose career is characterized by works and artistic exhibitions which are absolutely authentic and unique.
Among his solo and group exhibitions, we can mention: Arte Povera - Im Spazio (Galleria La Bertesca, Genova, 1967); III Rassegna di Arti Figurative, Arte Povera - Azioni Povere (Arsenali dell’Antica Repubblica, Amalfi, 1968); Op Losse Schroeven (Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1969); Live in Your Head - When Attitudes Become Form (Kunsthalle, Bern 1969); Konzeption/Conception (Stadtisches Museum, Leverkusen, 1969); Information (MoMA – Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1970); Conceptual Art, Arte Povera, Land Art (Museo Civico d’Arte Moderna, Torino, 1970); Arte Povera. 13 Italienische Kunstler (Kunstverein, Monaco, 1971); X Quadriennale Nazionale d’Arte di Roma. La ricerca estetica dal 1960 al 1970 (Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Roma, 1973); Contemporanea (Villa Borghese, Roma, 1973); Documenta X (Kassel, 1997); La Pimpa il Vuoto (Galleria Giorgio Persano, Torino, 2008); Arte Povera 2011 (Castello di Rivoli, Torino; GNAM – Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Roma; MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Bologna; GAMeC - Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo; MADRE - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina, Napoli; MAXXI - Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo, Roma; Triennale, Milano; Teatro Margherita; Bari, 2011); When Attitudes Become Form. Berna 1969 - Venezia 2013 (Fondazione Prada, Ca’ Corner della Regina, Venezia, 2013); Anni ‘70 Arte a Roma (Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Roma, 2013); Take Me (I’m Yours) (Accademia di Francia a Villa Medici, Roma, 2018); Emilio Prini (Fondazione Merz, Torino, 2019).
