“The Peggy Guggenheim Collection presents  “Manu-Facture: The Ceramics of Lucio of Fontana, the first museum exhibition dedicated exclusively to the ceramic work of Lucio Fontana (1899–1968), one of the most innovative, and in his unique way irreverent, artists of the twentieth century. While Fontana is best known for his iconic, slashed and punctured canvases of the 1950s and ‘60s, this exhibition casts a spotlight on a lesser-known but essential part of his oeuvre: his work in clay, which he began in Argentina in the 1920s and continued to explore throughout his life. Organized by art historian Sharon Hecker, this is the first solo show to offer an in-depth examination of Fontanaʼs ceramic production.” — Peggy Guggenheim Collection

As Hecker notes: “Long associated with craft rather than fine art, today Fontanaʼs ceramics are receiving attention due to the resurgence of interest in the medium within contemporary art.”

“Between suicide and travel, I chose the latter because I hope to still make a series of ceramics and sculptures that give me the pleasure or feeling of still being a living man.” — Lucio Fontana

Title image: Lucio Fontana. Portrait of Esa. Glazed ceramic: white, brown and pink, cm 57 x 43 x 27. Private Collection. © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano, by SIAE 2025 © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milano, by SIAE 2025

Images courtesy Peggy Guggenheim Collection.