Gianni
Colombo’s art occurs in the space between the work and those who encounter it.
Author of a consistent body of work, he was part of the Gruppo T with Giovanni
Anceschi, Davide Boriani, Gabriele De Vecchi, and Grazia Varisco, and
participated in investigations into kinetic art. In the late 1950s, he was
already defining each of his works as “tests” through which he could experiment
with and observe the behavioural reactions of visitors. Introducing elements of
perceptual ambiguity, he experimented with wide-ranging formal freedom over the
course of his career, remaining faithful, however, to the concept of “open
work,” to be interpreted and experienced on various levels and whose final image
is produced by the viewers themselves. Emphasizing this idea of active
participation, the artist preferred to use the term “user,” and thought of the
public as “technicians.” [...]
