Mario Merz
1925 - 2003
Born in Milan (Italy), died in Turin (Italy).
Mario Merz (1925–2003, Italy) is a central figure in the arte povera movementof the 1960s. In the beginning of this decade Merz takes up sculpture, notably producing the characteristic ‘igloos’. These images of a nomadic, boundary-less condition are composed of everyday materials: clay, stone, glass, jute, asphalt, branches from trees, metal, wax. They often carry neon inscriptions, such as this quote from the North Vietnamese general Vô Ngyên Giàp: ‘If the enemy concentrates he loses ground, if he scatters he loses strength.’ Yet Merz also continues as a painter, as we can see in this untitled work from 1984.
