Atanasio Soldati and Franco Fontana Unite in Milan Exhibition

Opening between the works of a Parma painter born in 1896 and a Modena photographer born in 1933, the exhibition Atanasio Soldati-Franco Fontana: esplorazioni tra forma e colore. Running from October 7 to December 23 at Galleria Gracis in Milan, the display was realized in collaboration with Galleria Photo & Contemporary of Torino.

Atanasio Soldati died in 1953 when Franco Fontana was only twenty years old, leaving their parallel artistic paths physically uncrossed until now. Yet, placing their works side by side reveals a striking affinity in their treatment of color, essential forms, and exact compositional balance.

Soldati and Fontana Move Toward Mental Abstraction

Atanasio Soldati established himself as a leading figure of the Milanese-Como abstractionism that absorbed European avant-garde currents during the 1930s. Franco Fontana later elevated color photography—long dismissed as a mere commercial medium—into the realm of fine art. The exhibition curated by Francesca Tribò highlights how both creators moved away from literal imitation toward a mental process of abstraction. When comparing Soldati’s 1935 oil on canvas Composizione with Fontana’s 1979 photograph New York, a shared conceptual foundation emerges. A similar parallel links Soldati’s 1945 oil Geometrie with Fontana’s 1991 photograph Los Angeles.

This exhibition nasce da un’intuizione, da una visione, dall’incontro inatteso tra due opere e due artisti, noted curator Francesca Tribò.

Artists Reject Mimesis for Mental Transformation of Reality

Both artists rejected direct mimesis in favor of a mental transformation of reality. Soldati spoke of the divine rules of geometry while looking to the synthesis of Piero della Francesca. Fontana maintained that the photographer makes the invisible visible through their gaze, turning photography into invention. Their visual compositions share a metaphysical code defined by suspended time, silence, and immobility. Color functions as an interpretive instrument for both men rather than a descriptive tool, acting as a core structural component of their imagery.

Future Exhibitions at Galleria Gracis

Following this exploration of twentieth-century Italian masters, Galleria Gracis will shift its focus to contemporary art in February. The upcoming exhibition will feature a dedicated project designed and created specifically for the gallery by artist Giulia Marchi, born in 1976.