From October 11, 2025, to March 2, 2026, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice presents an unprecedented exhibition: Mani-Fattura: The Ceramics of Lucio Fontana. Curated by Sharon Hecker, this showcase marks the first major solo retrospective entirely dedicated to the ceramic production of the master of Spatialism within the Venetian museum.
While Lucio Fontana is internationally renowned primarily for his iconic “Slashes” and “Holes” on canvas, this exhibition shifts the focus to a lesser-known yet fundamental aspect of his artistic inquiry. For Fontana, ceramics were not a secondary activity but a true laboratory for experimentation. Here, matter came to life under the pressure of his fingers, transforming the act of modeling into a profound reflection on space.
A Journey Through Matter and Color
The exhibition features approximately 70 works, including several pieces that have never been displayed to the public before. The curated path documents the artist’s stylistic and technical evolution:
- The Early Years: The initial works showcase his use of raw ceramics, where the clay retains a primitive, earthy physicality.
- Experimental Phase: The transition toward metallic glazes, the bold use of lacquer, and vibrant polychromatic finishes that make the surfaces appear almost electric.
- Spatial Fusion: Sculptures of crucifixes, battles, and Baroque figures demonstrate how Fontana sought to “break through” traditional form to incorporate the surrounding environment.
The Poetics of “Mano-Facture”
The title Mani-Fattura (a play on the Italian words for “hand” and “making”) highlights the concept of manual creation. The artist did not merely mold the clay; he “attacked” the material, incising and shaping it to imbue it with dynamism. Fontana’s ceramics reveal a visceral and deep relationship with the physical element, foreshadowing the desire to transcend two-dimensionality that would later define his world-famous canvases.
Visiting this exhibition offers a chance to discover an original side of Fontana, where technical virtuosity meets absolute expressive freedom, repositioning ceramics as a modern and revolutionary language.