EXPOSITION

FAUSTO MELOTTI

(Sculpture - Drawing - Plaster-cast - Ceramic - Engraving)

2 - 22 February

 Nicolas Sursock Museum

Beirut

Cubo alfabeto,  ottone 1979

Scultura 26, ottone bozzetto es. unico 1978

Vasi, ceramica smaltata 1950 

Grande ciotola (verde), ceramica smaltata 1950

under the auspices of 

H.E. Ambassador of Italy Giuseppe Cassini

Exposition  organized by

ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA - BEIRUT

In collaboration with 

MUSEUM NICOLAS SURSOCK

FAUSTO MENOTTI

     (Rovereto (TN) 1901 Milan 1986)

In 1915 he follows his family in Florence, where he accomplishes his secondary studies. In 1918 he is enrolled at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics in Pisa, subjects he will then carry on at the "Politecnico" in Milan, where, in 1924, he takes his degree in Electro technical Engineering. In the same time, he carries on his musical studies and starts getting interested in sculpture, attending the studio of Pietro Canonica, a carver in Turin. He is then enrolled in Brera "Accademia", where he is the pupil of Adolfo Wildt and takes his graduation in 1928. In these years, starts with Lucio Fontana a long friendship, that will last until his death. 

In 1932 he accepts, from the handicraft furniture school in Cantù, the commission of a course of modern plastic. In 1935 he makes clearly known his belonging to the Milanese abstractionists, by taking part to the first collective exhibition of abstractionism, at Casorati and Paolucci studio in Turin and exhibiting his sculptures, inspired strictly to the counterpoint, at the "Galleria del Milione". In 1936 he exhibits in Milan "Triennale" twelve big copies of "Componente Uomo". His first personal exhibition has no positive results in Italy, either among critics and artists, while he is taken into the right consideration in France, thanks to Léonce Rosenbert, and in Switzertland, where in 1937 he is given the international prize "La Sarraz". 

Since 1941 and for two years, he lives in Rome, drawing and writing poetry, that will be edited by Giovanni Scheiwiller in 1944 under the title Il Minotauro triste (the sad Minotauro). After the war, as to make a living, he dedicates himself to pottery; in 1951 he gets the Great Prize of the Milan "Triennale"; in 1958 he gets the "Grande Medaglia d'oro ad artefice italiano" from the City of Milan; in 1959 he gets the gold medal from the City of Praga and from the City of Munich. The 1967 exhibition at the "Galleria Toninelli" in Milan suggests once again his name to the public and to the young people in particular. From now on, he starts a series of exhibitions in Italy and abroad that will rapidly lead him to success. In 1973 he gets the Rembrandt Prize, considered the Nobel Prize for Arts; in 1977 he gets the Biancamano Prize. 

In 1974 the publishing house Adelphi edits a collection of pieces of writing and poetry by Melotti, entitled Linee (Lines), that will get him the Diano Marina Prize in 1975. In 1978 the same publisher edits Linee, secondo quaderno (Lines, second notebook). In the same year he is given the Feltrinelli Prize for sculpture. In 1979 an anthological exhibition of his work is shown in Milan, at Palazzo Reale. In 1981 the City of Florence dedicates him an exhibition at Forte del Belvedere. In 1983 he exhibits at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome; in 1985 at the "Galleria dell'Accademia" in Venice, while in 1986 a part of his work is shown at the Biennale. Again in 1986 his performances are shown in Paris Centre Georges Pompidou for the exhibition "Qu'est-ce que la sculpture moderne?" He dies in Milan on June 22, 1986. In 1987 the Pavillon of Contemporary Art in Milan and the City of Matera dedicate to the artist two great anthological exhibitions. 

His works take part to international art exhibitions such as "Standing Sculpture" at Rivoli's Castel, "Italian Art in the 20th Century" at the Royal Academy in London and "Arte Italiana. Presenze 1900-1945" at Palazzo Grassi in Venice.