The freedom of form

Italian sculptor Gianfranco Meggiato is well-known internationally for his abstract art and large public installations focusing on societal topics.

Since 1998, he has exhibited in museums, galleries and public squares all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, Ukraine, Russia, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Australia. His work also has been on display in the National Pavilions of the Venice Biennale and at Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial.

Pursuing a childhood dream, Meggiato studied sculpture at the Istituto Statale d’Arte in Venice, his hometown. “I was fascinated by the life stories of Donatello and Michelangelo, and imagined being an apprentice in the workshops of these great masters,” he says.

He showcased his first work in St. Mark’s Square at age 16, when he was among 100 young artists, out of 3,000 applicants, admitted into a group show organized by the municipality of Venice. “My feet barely touched the ground. I felt as if I were vibrating in the air. Deep inside, I understood that this would be my path.”

So why did he choose sculpture?

“I believe that being able to walk around a work, discovering constantly changing views of it, gives sculpture a character of ‘truthfulness’ unknown to painting, while at the same time offering observers the chance to touch it,” he explains. “I feel that if the sculpture is alive and pulsating, then it must prompt observers to want to touch it.”

Meggiato says his work now surpasses “pure geometry and schemes” in order to move toward “the freedom of form.”

“My anti-classical research follows in the footsteps of a tradition boasting figures such as Brâncuși, Arp, Moore and Calder,” he explains. “These sculptors achieved various degrees of deconstruction of classical forms, as in my own work.”

The article above appears in the August 2025 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture.

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