Genoa’s Palazzo Ducale honored Turin-born painter Giorgio Griffa with an exhibition entitled Painting the Invisible. Over 50 works were displayed in eleven rooms, retracing 50 years of the artist’s work. The exhibition, held from March 22 to July 13, 2025, was curated by Ilaria Bonacossa and Sébastien Delot, in collaboration with the Giorgio Griffa Foundation. Among the works on display are canvases from the 1960s whose concepts touch on the mystery of knowledge. The 1980 work “Sessanta Frammenti” stands out in particular, composed of painted and cut canvases whose configuration changes every time they are moved.
It is precisely this that gives meaning to the concept of “unfinished” and engages the viewer in contributing to the creation. Indeed, the artist himself invites us to consider the space of the works as something unfinished. The colors do not fill the entire space; Appearance can seem incomplete and invisible, and it is precisely these characteristics that make Griffa a unique artist. Griffa himself speaks of “abandoning the principle of domination” inviting the viewer to go beyond appearances and see the invisible, just as the exhibition title suggests.
This exhibition confirmed Griffa’s talent for taking the viewer beyond mere appearances. The works on display paid homage to the artist’s extensive work and the consistently high quality of his pictorial output. A catalog for the exhibition was published by Silvana Editoriale.