1956 FIRST STEPS IN THE ART WORLD

Together with Sordini and Verga Manzoni debuted on the 11th of August 1956 at the 4ª Fiera di Soncino (4th Fair of Soncino) at the town’s Castello Sforzesco, a section of which was the 4ª Fiera Mercato. Mostra d’Arte Contemporanea (4th Market Fair. Exhibition of Contemporary Art).

An anonymous review of the exhibition published on the 24th of August in the local newspaper La Provincia noted Manzoni’s presence in the title, Hanno creato un nuovo stile pittorico dipingendo con chiavi intinte nel colore (They have created a new pictorial style by painting with keys dipped in paint): “With youthful irreverence, Manzoni, a follower of a highly individual Surrealist style, has initiated a new pictorial mode, painting with keys dipped paint. Two works have emerged, Papillon fox and Domani chi sa permeated by strange tones that constituted an authentic attraction for all visitors.” On the 5th of November, Manzoni participated in the Premio di pittura San Fedele 1956 at the Galleria San Fedele in Milan and a month later, on the 9th of December, he published Per la scoperta di una zona di immagini (On the discovery of a zone of images), together with Sordini, Camillo Corvi-Mora and Giuseppe Zecca, the first of a prolific series of manifestos that distinguished his early career.