Art Basel Miami Beach 2024

At the forefront of this conversation, Lucio Fontana’s (1899 – 1968) iconic cuts in the canvas, such as in Concetto Spaziale, Attesa (1966), exemplify his revolutionary gesture of puncturing the pictorial space, inviting the viewer into a new semantic realm where form itself becomes expression and thought. This is further evidenced through inscriptions on the reverse of his canvases, such as “At this moment, they’re banging on the door,” which reveals an emotional dimension that transcends the visual.

In Joseph Kosuth’s (1945) 1991 work #II49. (On Color/Multi #9), text becomes artistic matter, combined with the luminous matter of neon in a layering of meanings and sensory experiences.

Mel Bochner (1940) converges language and vibrant colours, in his series Blah Blah Blah. Referring to the phrase ’Blah Blah Blah’ as “the black hole of language”, Bochner utilises it as a catalyst for contemplation, prompting viewers to question their understanding of language.

Salvo (1947 – 2015) draws on this question of language and identity in Tricolore (1971), which presents an illuminated display of Salvo’s chosen name, in the colours of the Italian flag.This work denotes his identity as an artist, Salvo rather than Salvatore Mangione and his Italian heritage. Returning to painting in 1973, Salvo cultivated vibrant, psychedelic landscapes that engaged with language in ways deeply informed by his early conceptual explorations. Each imagined scene employs light as a primary expressive element, using it to convey meaning beyond words. This approach is exemplified in Il Villaggio (2007), where a village at dusk glows under streetlights, immersing the viewer in a precise moment and highlighting Salvo’s use of light as a language.

Together these artists form a “visual lexicon” that transcends linguistic boundaries, inviting visitors to explore the essence of art as a universal language.