Valerio Adami Exhibition Opens at David Nolan Gallery in New York

Valerio Adami's first New York exhibition in over two decades, Alice in the Land of Violence, opened on October 27, 2022, at the David Nolan Gallery in Tribeca. The show features 16 paintings and 15 drawings, mostly created between 1962 and 1967, with one exception completed this year by the 91-year-old artist.

The exhibition showcases Adami's work from a globally transformative period in art. Born in Bologna, Italy, in 1935, Adami moved to Paris after graduating from art school in Milan. There, he encountered influential artists like Roberto Matta and Wifredo Lam. By the late 1950s, Adami's travels took him to London, New York, South America, and India, where he befriended notable figures in art, philosophy, and literature.

Adami's work from the 1960s, while sometimes associated with Pop Art, draws from a broader range of influences. These include surrealism, expressionism, and the distinctive use of flat, saturated colors and black outlines characteristic of Pop Art. His paintings feature ambiguous shapes and words, resisting straightforward interpretation.

Notable figures who influenced Adami include Richard Hamilton, Jim Dine, Oskar Kokoschka, Jacques Derrida, Édouard Glissant, and Octavio Paz. The exhibition highlights Adami's ability to absorb and transform diverse artistic influences into a unique style.

The exhibition is significant as it introduces a lesser-known but influential Italian artist to a new American audience. Adami's work, marked by its visual innovation and syncretic approach, offers a fresh perspective on the art of the 1960s, a period of significant global artistic change.