Family Portraits

An exhibition in three parts supported by Fondazione Zegna, Padre e Figlio features the works of Michelangelo Pistoletto and his father Ettore – a meditation of the profound relationship between father and son, and a reflection of Zegna’s ongoing family legacy.

- Jennifer Choo

In an art market where celebrity and headline-grabbing stunts have become the currency of choice, it’s refreshing to experience an exhibition with layers of profound meaning – not just for the artist but for the foundation supporting it. The exhibition is called Padre e Figlio (Father and Son) and is a curated body of work by Michelangelo Pistoletto and his father, the late Ettore Pistoletto Olivero. Michelangelo is one of the most important figures on the international art scene and a founder of the Arte Povera movement, while his father was a celebrated landscape and still-life painter.

Padre e Figlio (www.padreefiglio.it) is supported by Fondazione Zegna, which has been working to transmit its founder’s values of ethical practices coupled with aesthetics through cooperation with non-profit organisations since 2000.

The breadth of the exhibition is impressive – not just in numbers (more than 100) – but in medium too. The entire range of artworks includes paintings, mirror paintings, installations, light-boxes, videos and photographs, complemented with videodialogues held between the artist and the president of Fondazione Zegna, Anna Zegna. Adding another facet to the exhibition is the scattered nature of the experience, where attendees are invited to visit three highly symbolic locations around Biella in the picturesque Piedmont region.