The 13th Berlin Biennale of Contemporary Art, held from June 14 to September 14, 2025, with its critical and multidisciplinary approach, paid a fitting and significant tribute to a giant of Italian and international art: Piero Gilardi. The Turin-born artist, known for his central role in seminal movements such as Arte Povera and his intellectual contribution to landmark exhibitions, had always pursued a singular vision that fused conceptual art with carnivalesque aesthetics, defining a personal “techno-utopian” trajectory. His works were inextricably linked to political engagement, blending direct action with a vision of ecological regeneration.
Gilardi’s legacy was evident at the Biennale, particularly at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, with the initiative “The Artists Street.” Here, the artist was symbolically reinstated in his favorite arena: the street as a stage for protest. His contribution took the form of a carnivalesque street procession, showcasing the formidable folk characters of the future he had conceived and summoned for his major protest parades around the world. This staging drew both on the carnival traditions of Northern Italy and the irreverent sensibility of international protests against global capitalism and nuclear power, which Gilardi fueled with scathing and satirical portrayals of power.
The installations on display reflected his incisive social critique. Through these works, Gilardi demonstrated the vitality of art as a tool of struggle, constantly oscillating between a taste for the grotesque and an avant-garde approach that unapologetically addresses the most pressing political issues. Despite his passing, Gilardi left us an artistic legacy that has urgently resonated in contemporary debate, a call to use imagination to unmask and challenge power in a world of perpetual turmoil.