BIOGRAPHY

1960 LAST EXHIBITIONS AT AZIMUT GALLERY

Overall, Manzoni exhibited in three solo shows at Azimut as well as in group shows (22 December 1959, 4 January and 25 May 1960).

Following the Linee, on the 3rd of May he presented the Corpi d’aria (Bodies of Air) - introducing the Fiato d’artista (Artist’s Breath) variant in which the balloons were inflated by the artist himself - while on the 21st of July, it was the turn of the Consumazione dell’arte Dinamica del pubblico Divorare l’arte (Consumption of art / Dynamic of the public / Devour art) in which the public consumed hardboiled eggs on the shells of which was impressed the artist’s fingerprint (the SEDI Newsreel also created a filmed version of this performance). This was to be the last event in the brief life of Azimut.

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Piero Manzoni preparing an Uovo scultura (Egg Sculpture) for the SEDI newsreel, Milan, 1960

Piero Manzoni, Heinz Mack and Enrico Castellani at the opening of the exhibition Mack. Rilievi luminosi e pitture (Mack. Bright Reliefs and Paintings), Azimut, Milan, 1960

Invitation to the exhibition Consumazione dell’arte, dinamica del pubblico, divorare l’arte (Consumption of Art, Dynamic of the Public, Devour Art), Azimut, Milan, 1960

Fiato d’artista (Artist’s Breath), 1960, balloon, wooden base, 18 × 18 cm

Manzoni inflating a Corpo d’aria (Body of Air) in his studio on Via Fiori Oscuri, Milan, 1960 (photo © Giorgio Lotti)