The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, presents "Giorgio Griffa: Paths in the Forest," the first solo museum exhibition in the United States dedicated to the Italian artist Giorgio Griffa (born 1936). On view from June 13 to October 12 at the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, the exhibition features works spanning nearly six decades, including highlights such as "Sessanta frammenti" (1980), "Rosa" (1968), and "Narciso" (1986). Griffa is known for his use of diluted acrylics on unstretched, unprimed canvases, and his practice emphasizes the intelligence of materials and an ecological ethic. The exhibition is curated by Robert Wiesenberger, John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum and former curator of contemporary projects at the Clark.
This exhibition matters because it introduces a significant but under-recognized European painter to a U.S. audience, coinciding with Griffa’s ninetieth birthday. It highlights the Clark’s commitment to contemporary art and its dialogue with historical collections and the natural landscape. The show also underscores the growing international support for Italian contemporary art, with funding from the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Italian Council program. By presenting Griffa’s lyrical, material-based approach to painting, the exhibition offers a timely meditation on ecology, perception, and the role of the unknown in artistic practice.