In the Footsteps of Light from Turin to Berlin: Salvo and “La città” at Sprüth Magers
In the early 1970s, as Turin experienced the most radical years of conceptual art and the Arte Povera movement, Salvatore Mangione (Salvo), who breathed the same atmosphere as Alighiero Boetti and Mario Merz, made a radical decision in 1973. Setting aside conceptual texts and photographs to focus entirely on oil painting, the artist returned to the traditional world of the canvas. Following the traces of Salvo’s profound transformation, the Sprüth Magers gallery in Berlin brings his solo exhibition titled “La città” to audiences from September 11 to October 24, 2026.
From Conceptual Roots to Dreamlike Cities
Hidden within Salvo’s canvases is a vast art historical memory ranging from Giotto and Botticelli to Italian Futurism and Surrealism. Yet, rather than creating a heavy burden, these historical references translate into a remarkably simple language through geometrically simplified architectural forms, sinuous clouds, and dense color blocks.
Light and Color Palette: Salvo approaches cities through the transparent shifts of light at different times of the day. Skies dominated by shades of pink, purple, and warm orange engage in a balanced dialogue with the city’s simplified buildings.
Balance of Nature and City: In the works, harsh man-made lines confront the soft contours of nature. Cities stand out with their quiet solitude, while buildings appear as masses almost breathing on their own.
The exhibition allows us to reread—through the image of the city—that unique, peaceful, and timeless painterly atmosphere Salvo maintained until his passing in 2015.
