Become a My Ocula member for exclusive access to contemporary art and personalised artist recommendations.
Join Us Sign In
The Art World in Focus
Clear
Fausto Melotti

FAUSTO MELOTTI

Theatre Curated by Saim Demircan Hauser & Wirth 19 January–20 April 2022 London
Overview Preview Artworks Location
Request Prices & Availability
Press Release

A selection of sculptures, ceramic pieces and works on paper by Italian sculptor, painter and poet Fausto Melotti are displayed for the first time at Hauser & Wirth in London. Curated by writer and curator Saim Demircan and organized in collaboration with the Fondazione Fausto Melotti in Milan, the exhibition places an emphasis on the theatrical within Melotti’s practice and includes works spanning four decades from the 1940s to 1980s. As Demircan says, ‘the artist worked consistently until his passing in 1986, yet it wasn’t until the early 1980s that he designed set pieces for the actual stage. This exhibition looks back throughout Melotti’s lifetime to consider how theatre—conceptually as much as a dramatic art—informed the artist’s own creativity.’

Considering the South Gallery as a stage, a selection of Melotti’s teatrini (little theatres) provide a backdrop for sculptural works that allude to the artist’s sensibility for dramaturgy, storytelling and allegory. The exhibition is designed in collaboration with artist Aaron Angell, and will be further complemented by a series of drawings and two-dimensional works in mixed media.

Fausto Melotti is considered a pioneer of Italian art and is acknowledged for his unique contribution to the development of mid-century European Modernism. Coming of age in prewar Milan and living through the horrors of the Second World War, Melotti metabolised wartime devastation in his work by returning to Renaissance principles of harmony, order, geometry, and musical structure, which he integrated into a highly personal yet universally accessible artistic language that expresses the full range of emotional experiences in modern human existence.

Read More

Installation Views

About the Artist

Italian sculptor, painter and poet, Fausto Melotti is considered a pioneer of Italian art and is acknowledged for his unique contribution to the development of mid-century European Modernism. Coming of age in prewar Milan, and living through the horrors of the Second World War, Melotti metabolized wartime devastation in his work by returning to Renaissance principles of harmony, order, geometry, and musical structure, which he integrated into a highly personal yet universally accessible artistic language that expresses the full range of emotional experiences in modern human existence. 



View Artist Profile

Also Exhibiting at Hauser & Wirth

All Exhibitions
Group Exhibition
GROUP EXHIBITION Directionless Hauser & Wirth 21 June–25 October 2026 Menorca
James Jarvaise, Henry Taylor
JAMES JARVAISE, HENRY TAYLOR Sometimes a straight line has to be crooked Hauser & Wirth 12 June–5 September 2026 Zürich, Limmatstrasse
Avery Singer
AVERY SINGER War_overlays Hauser & Wirth 12 June–5 September 2026 Zürich, Limmatstrasse
Frank Bowling
FRANK BOWLING Like Water Hauser & Wirth 11 June–29 August 2026 Hong Kong
About the Gallery

Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, who were joined in 2000 by Partner and Vice President Marc Payot. A family business with a global outlook, Hauser & Wirth has expanded over the past 26 years to include outposts in Hong Kong, London, New York, Los Angeles, Somerset and Gstaad. The gallery represents over 70 artists and estates who have been instrumental in shaping its identity over the past quarter century, and who are the inspiration for Hauser & Wirth’s diverse range of activities that engage with art, education, conservation and sustainability.

View Gallery Profile
Address
23 Savile Row
London
United Kingdom
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Saturday
10am – 6pm
(1)
London 23 Savile Row
Hauser Wirth contemporary art gallery in London
Hauser & Wirth
23 Savile Row, London, United Kingdom
+44 207 287 2300
http://www.hauserwirth.com

Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday
10am – 6pm
Magazine Gallery Platform Advisory
Ocula Magazine

A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.

Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.

 Learn more about Ocula Magazine Learn more about Ocula Magazine Ocula Gallery Platform

Showcasing the best of the art world.

Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.

 Learn more about Ocula Membership Learn more about Ocula Membership Ocula Advisory

Specialises in the sale of major artworks.

Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.

 Learn more about our team and services Learn more about Ocula Advisory
The art world in focus