Gilberto Zorio is certainly one of the most important figures on the Italian art scene, along with Pistoletto, Fabro, and Merz, among the founders of Arte Povera. His project “Fontana arbitraria” reconnects with an artistic tradition and experience over thirty years old, while at the same time convincingly reflecting the changes that have occurred in art and in today’s public space since then.
In the context of the discussion on the current possibilities and perspectives of art in public space, the artist deliberately draws on the motif of the fountain, which—just think of medieval art—is the oldest form of artwork in public space. A symbol of wealth and superfluous abundance, the fountain has always represented an important point of encounter between humans and nature. In contemporary art, we have numerous examples that attest to the revival of the fountain motif—consider, for instance, the German artist Tobias Rehberger or the Swiss artist Roman Signer.
Gilberto Zorio has developed a project inspired by the theme “art, nature, and energy”—a project that, both conceptually and aesthetically, meets the standards of quality demanded internationally for art in public space.