Six Senses of Italy

Fundació Suñol's new exhibition reviews the work of the italian second avant-garde artists that form part of its collection.

The exhibition “I sei sensi” (The Six Senses) stems from the Fundació Suñol’s initiative to offer regular rereadings of the works of art in its collection, in this case pieces by Italian artists from the second avant-gardes.

Josep Suñol forged his past and present ties with contemporary Italian culture and creation on his many trips to Rome and other cities in Italy.

As early as the 1970s he was drawn to key works in the history of international art from the first avant-gardes, such as the oldest piece in the collection, Giacomo Balla’s Linee-forza del pugno di Boccioni II (1915).

Through his direct contacts with artists and visits to art galleries and exhibitions, Josep Suñol began to develop an interest in acquiring more contemporary works. These pieces now give an excellent insight into Italian style and how artistic movements evolved during the 20th century.

This show takes its title from one of the series produced by Alighiero Boetti throughout the 1970s: I sei sensi. Boetti stressed the importance of reason (pensare) in his art work and saw thought as a sensitive being in art.

The exhibition follows a brief chronological structure, starting with Futurism as one of the first avant-gardes, followed by Informalism, conceptual art and the Italian Transavantgarde. Alongside Balla and Boetti, there is also work by Novelli, Longobardi, Consagra, Fontana, Staccioli, Perilli, Battaglia, Griffa and Spagnulo—a wide range of innovative formal approaches that represent the main trends in 20th-century art.