Giuseppe Uncini

Born in 1929 in Fabriano, Italy; dies in 2008 in Trevi, Italy.
After attending the Art Institute of Urbino, in 1953 Uncini moves to Rome. In 1956-57 he begins the cycle of works called Terre, tables realised with tuffs, sand, ash and coloured pigments. In 1958 he realises the Primocementoarmato, a bar of raw concrete reinforced network and irons. In 1962, he founds together with Gastone Biggi, Nicola Carrino, Nato Frascà, Achille Pace and Pasquale Santoro, Group 1 to enhance the role of social art. He begins his series Ferrocementi (1962 – 1965), Strutturaespazio (1965 – 1966), Bricks (1969-1972), and Shadows (1972 – 1978). The 1980’s are marked by Guest, surfaces that give the idea of an architectural landscape: buildings, doors, windows, thresholds and their drop shadow. Numerous are his solo and group exhibitions, Bologna, Palazzo Re Enzo; Florence, Il Quadrante; Venice, Il Cavallino; Quadrennial of Rome; Venice Biennale; Turin, Christian Stein; and many others. In 1962, he is among the winners of the Spoleto Award. In 1999, he exhibits Minimalia at PS1 in New York and in 2001 he has a retrospective at Städtische Kunsthalle in Mannheim. The last work Uncini creates before his death is Epistylium (2007 – 2009), a large sculpture made of reinforced concrete over six meters high, built for the outdoor exhibition space of the Mart in Rovereto.