THE ARTWORKS
Boundless Creativity
From painting to sculpture, from cinema to design, Nespolo has explored every field with extraordinary creativity and inventiveness, embracing new techniques and technologies at every opportunity and expanding his boundless artistic universe.
A Multiform Language in Constant Evolution.
His boundless eclecticism, numerous connections in the art world, and experience in New York have shaped a constantly evolving language, capable of adapting to every space and context Nespolo engages with.
Nespolo’s art is a continuous journey through styles, techniques, and worlds, driven by the boundless eclecticism that defines each of his works. His curiosity and desire to explore without limits have led him to engage with a wide range of artistic environments, from Europe to international metropolises, with a particular focus on the New York scene, where encounters with the avant-garde marked a pivotal chapter in his career. Every experience, every exchange has helped shape a visual language that never stands still but constantly evolves, enriched by new forms, meanings, and influences.
This constant evolution is also a defining trait of his work: a language that does not passively adapt to contexts but transforms them, seamlessly and powerfully engaging with every space it encounters. Whether it is a painting, a sculpture, or an installation, Nespolo’s work always finds a new dimension, a fresh way to connect with the audience, demonstrating that the ability to innovate and experiment is the true essence of his art.
From historical avant-gardes to the use of art as a tool for global communication, an expressive strategy emerges—one that merges the dimensions of high art with those of popular art. This fusion generates a multiplicity of meanings, offering layered interpretations that are accessible on different levels.
The Years of the Avant-Garde
Experimentation and the avant-garde years have enriched Nespolo’s artistic journey. He took part in the first Arte Povera exhibitions curated by Germano Celant, contributed to Italy’s first Fluxus concert with Ben Vautier, and created artist films featuring figures such as Lucio Fontana, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Alighiero Boetti, Allen Ginsberg, and Edoardo Sanguineti—laying the foundation for an ever-evolving artistic path.
Molotov, 1968
The creative journey takes shape as a succession of closely interconnected phases, in which each step contributes to enriching and layering the ontological dimension of the work, progressively adding new levels to its meaning and essence.
Nespolo’s work begins with an original idea, often initially translated into small sketches on paper, which gradually gain autonomy. This creative process unfolds in unpredictable forms, transforming into paintings, sculptures, multiples, prints, or drawings, depending on the flow that guides the evolution of the work. This dynamism gives each project a sense of perpetual vitality, whether it involves purely artistic expressive works or pieces intended for communication—an area in which the artist has powerfully expressed his inventiveness.
Each phase of the creative process is examined and developed with extreme precision, in order to translate as faithfully and accurately as possible the original idea that forms the core of the work.
Azzurra, 1983
The artistic vision as a creative language.
Art and artistic experience, placed at the service of communication, transform the message into a unique creative form, positioned in a dynamic balance between the expression of the artistic gesture and communicative intent.
The poster for Azzurra, the collaboration with Campari, the decoration of the Turin metro, the customization of the Piaggio Vespa and several Swatch models represent just a small part of the vast contribution dedicated to the world of communication. These projects, the result of a creative dialogue between art and industry, demonstrate how the fusion of different languages can generate value, enriching both the companies involved and the artist himself.
Following the example of masters such as Fortunato Depero and Marcello Dudovich, Nespolo has embarked on a path that elevates communication to an art form. Through his own sensitivity, he has shaped messages that not only meet commercial needs but also become unique expressions of a creative identity, capable of leaving a lasting mark over time.
Above, the Swatch Ogu, created for the 35th anniversary of the Swiss company; on the side, the First chair by Michele De Lucchi, produced by Memphis and customized by Ugo Nespolo.
Through a wide variety of printing techniques, Nespolo’s work becomes part of everyday life, dissolving the barriers between art and design. This fusion allows art to transcend the confines of the museum and take shape in everyday objects, transforming domestic and daily spaces into an open gallery, where every element of lived experience becomes a potential bearer of aesthetic and cultural meaning.
From the decoration of details to the complete design of objects, expressiveness takes on multiple forms.
Il cinema d’artista
Starting in the 1960s, Ugo Nespolo began using the camera with the same creative freedom with which he wields the paintbrush, thus beginning his foray into artist cinema. This medium became a vehicle for him to explore an experimental language inspired by New American Cinema, characterized by the search for free and innovative expressive forms.
Through rapid editing, a relentlessly paced soundtrack, and an irreverent gaze, Nespolo does not merely document the cultural ferment driving the Arte Povera movement—he interprets it, turning cinema into a space for critical reflection. His filmic work thus emerges as a visual and conceptual analysis of the relationship between art, society, and language, offering a perspective that challenges traditional aesthetic and narrative conventions.
Estratti dai film di Ugo Nespolo realizzato da Gallerie d’Italia
