GRIGIO

The "Grigio" (It. “gray”) artwork was created by Agostino Bonalumi specifically for his major retrospective at the Institut Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt in 2003–2004.

This work was part of a large double installation, highlighting the different periods of his research. In the "Bianco" (It. “white”) section, he resumed the experience of the 1970s, when he created “extraflexions” using parallel and symmetrical forms. However, the late "Grigio", instead of an ordered rhythm, demonstrates a free, liberated and renewed gesture.

Bonalumi's canvases were not just a supporting surface for paintings, they were an independent sculptural phenomenon. Bonalumi shaped his works into a dome protruding outward. He installed special metal structures under the surface of the canvas. Thus, the canvases turned into a plastic relief capable of capturing light and casting shadows. The artist would then enhance this effect by painting the canvas in multiple monochrome shades rather than covering the canvas with a flat, uniform colour. This technique is especially clear in "Grigio", as the viewer can distinguish blue and even delicate green tones. Bonalumi challenges perception with variations of tones and free and unexpected geometries.