Born in Turin in 1942. He lives and works in Turin.
In the 1960s, Piero Gilardi was one of the founding members of Arte Povera and the inventor of the famous “nature carpets”, samples of artificial nature made of polyurethane foam.
During the 70s, he explored other avenues that quickly led him towards a more relational art form: he experimented with art therapy and collective creativity in Nicaragua and Africa, and at the same time became involved in social and political activism.
Since the 1980s, his work has focused on Bio Art and new technologies. In 2008, he set up the Parc d’Art Vivant (PAV) in Turin, which embodies his vision of art that is deeply committed to life, open to understanding living things in all their complexity and diversity.
Extract from the press release for the “Leçon de choses” exhibition (2010)