Marisa Merz She was one of the most significant figures of Arte Povera, with an artistic practice that managed to unite intimate sensitivity and material experimentation, creating works of strong symbolic and poetic value.
In 2002, he/she participated in the VII edition of Art to Art with an intervention in the cistern of Colle Val d'Elsa, presenting an untitled work that was subsequently donated to the municipality and is now permanently on display. In 2022, it was the focus, alongside Mario Merz, of the exhibition at UMoCA – Under Museum of Contemporary Art, an event that celebrated their unique contribution to contemporary art.
With her essential and profoundly evocative language, Marisa Merz left an indelible mark on art history, transforming simple materials into forms capable of conveying an intense spiritual and contemplative dimension.
Maria Luisa Truccato She was born in Turin, where she lived and carried out her artistic activity predominantly. In 1950 she met Mario Merz, whom she married and from whom she took her surname. She is the only female representative of Arte Povera, a movement she joined along with her husband Mario. Artistically, she is noted for blurring the lines between intimate space and public space, and for her use of materials such as wool, copper, and wax, dedicating numerous works to her daughter Beatrice. She participated in numerous international events and was honoured with important solo exhibitions. Following the death of her husband, Marisa Merz continued to produce a unique and emotive body of work. In 2013, along with Maria Lassnig, she received the Golden Lion at the 55th Venice Biennale. She died at the age of 93 in Turin.