Sunday, November 5, 2017

Arte Povera | The "Walking Sculpture" from the Streets to the Museum in Cold Spring


Arte Povera is definitely going through a renaissance. In the past three months there have been several exhibitions in New York and surrounding celebrating the Italian born art movement, coincidentally with its 50th anniversary—although it is difficult to pinpoint a birthday for something so fluid such a major art movement. In addition to the several major exhibitions in New York galleries,  yesterday Arte Povera has been celebrated in the quaint Hudson Valley village of Cold Springs (Putman County, NY) with the participatory performance "Walking Sculpture by Michelangelo Pistoletto.
     The "Walking Sculpture" is a sphere made of newspaper clips of current events and has been re-enacted for five decades worldwide, starting in 1967 with the sphere rolling through the streets of Turin. In Cold Springs the "Walking Sculpture" was transported by a red FIAT roadster and then rolled through the streets of the village by the artist, who was  joined by an enthusiastic crowd. Finally the sphere returned to its home at "Magazzino Italian Art" a small private museum near Cold Springs, founded by the collectors Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu.

"Walking Sculpture" in Cold Springs
"Walking Sculpture" at Magazzino Italian Art

Michelangelo Pistoletto at Magazzino Italian Art, November 4 2017