(Milan 1937–1993 Melzo)
Spazio elastico 16 quadrati, 1975, signed and dated Gianni Colombo 75 on the reverse, wood, nails, oil and elastic threads, 101 x 101 cm

Photo certificate:
Archivio Gianni Colombo, Milan, 4 February 2014, archive no. 1224

Provenance:
Studio Casati, Merate (label on the reverse)
L. Basurini Collection, Bergamo
European Private Collection

Exhibited:
Luce, movimento e programmazione. Kinetische Kunst aus Italien 1958–1968, Städtische Kunsthalle, Mannheim, 17 November 2001 – 10 February 2002 Städtisches Museum, Gelsenkirchen, 27 February - 14 April 2002 Stadtgalerie, Kiel, 14 June - 11 August 2002 Staatliches Museum, Schwerin, 23 August - 24 November 2002 Alpen-Adria-Galerie, Klagenfurt, 11 December 2002 - 17 March 2003

Literature:
F. Pola, M. Scotini, Gianni Colombo - The body and the Space 1959–1980, catalogue of the exhibition held at Robilant+Voena Gallery, Marsillo (ed.), Venice 2015, p. 143

A further example of the concept of “elastic space” is the construction of real object-paintings in which the conceptual and perceptive non-determination of form, structure and image is achieved by other means.

The subject of the work is once more the condition of space, at once projective and appropriated, the transformation of a sign, which displays the theoretical features of geometrical design at first, into something physical.

Once again, the focus is on the arbitrary modifiability of a structure, which can be constructed in a number of ways, as a result of the viewer’s participation, thanks to the elasticity of the metal threads that are used as signs.

F. Gualdoni, Gianni Colombo - Opere 1959-1979