Gigi Rigamonti was born in Desio (Milan) in 1949 . He studied at the Royal College of Arts in London and attended the Department of Economics at Pavia and the Department of Philosophy at the Università Statale of Milan. His study of these different subjects allowed him to freely explore multiple fields of arts: photography, sculpture, painting, and mixed media.
From 1972 to 1982 he worked as a professional photojournalist. At the same time he nurtured a vocation for sculpture, and 1987 he exhibited at Dalmy’s, in Montreal. In 1983 he partecipated in the show on Patafisica, curated by Enrico Baj, at the Palazzo Realein Milan. In 1989 He exhibited in The Gianni Versace show Un abito per pensare, at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. In 1992, he held a show at the Golden Gallery in Tokyo. In 2002, he participated, with a solo exhibition, in the first edition of Miami-Basel. The same year he founded artandgallery, a multidisciplinary space located in a former opera theatre in the neighbourhood of Isola, in Milan. From that moment, Rigamonti conceived of his work as an organism in continuous expansion, moving from painting to the social surround. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, he opened Spazio Anfossi in Milan and 1902, an innovative restaurant with a “Simenonesque”
atmosphere in the Palazzolo Milanese. The place featured poetry, music, and theatre. In 2003 he inaugurated Danza, an installation for the cruise ship Costa Mediterranea. In 2005 he exhibited Le Cirque at the Xingfucun Art Center, and in 2006 he participated in Pagine d’artista at the Spazio Anfossi. In Shanghai, in 2007, he displayed Plastica del desiderio, an enormous installation at Times Square, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China.
In 2009 he exhibited Cross Stories in artandgallery, Milan,and in 2010 he presented to Shanghai Times Square last exhibition “ Cross My Stories”,with an installation of some 500 drawings.
Currently he lives and works between Milan and New York.
(By Manuela Gandini)
From 1972 to 1982 he worked as a professional photojournalist. At the same time he nurtured a vocation for sculpture, and 1987 he exhibited at Dalmy’s, in Montreal. In 1983 he partecipated in the show on Patafisica, curated by Enrico Baj, at the Palazzo Realein Milan. In 1989 He exhibited in The Gianni Versace show Un abito per pensare, at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. In 1992, he held a show at the Golden Gallery in Tokyo. In 2002, he participated, with a solo exhibition, in the first edition of Miami-Basel. The same year he founded artandgallery, a multidisciplinary space located in a former opera theatre in the neighbourhood of Isola, in Milan. From that moment, Rigamonti conceived of his work as an organism in continuous expansion, moving from painting to the social surround. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, he opened Spazio Anfossi in Milan and 1902, an innovative restaurant with a “Simenonesque”
atmosphere in the Palazzolo Milanese. The place featured poetry, music, and theatre. In 2003 he inaugurated Danza, an installation for the cruise ship Costa Mediterranea. In 2005 he exhibited Le Cirque at the Xingfucun Art Center, and in 2006 he participated in Pagine d’artista at the Spazio Anfossi. In Shanghai, in 2007, he displayed Plastica del desiderio, an enormous installation at Times Square, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China.
In 2009 he exhibited Cross Stories in artandgallery, Milan,and in 2010 he presented to Shanghai Times Square last exhibition “ Cross My Stories”,with an installation of some 500 drawings.
Currently he lives and works between Milan and New York.
(By Manuela Gandini)
Gigi Rigamonti nasce a Desio (Mi) nel 1949. Studia al Royal College of Arts di Londra e frequenta la Facoltà di Economia a Pavia e la Facoltà di Filosofia alla Statale di Milano. L’approfondimento delle diverse discipline consentono all’artista di spaziare tra i molteplici campi dell’arte: tra fotografia, scultura, socialità, pittura e mix-media.
Dal 1972 al 1982 è fotografo reporter professionista. Contemporaneamente sviluppa la vocazione alla scultura e nel 1987 espone al Dalmy’s a Montreal. Tra le altre cose nel 1989 realizza opere per la mostra “Un abito per pensare” di Gianni Versace al Castello Sforzesco di Milano. Nel 1992 espone alla Golden Gallery a Tokyo. Nel 2002 partecipa, con una mostra personale, alla prima edizione di Miami Basel. Lo stesso anno fonda Artandgallery, uno spazio multidisciplinare collocato in un ex-teatro d’opera nel quartiere Isola di Milano. Da quel momento Rigamonti concepisce la propria opera come un organismo in continua espansione, che origina dalla pittura e si estende alla socialità. Nei primi anni Duemila aprirà “SpazioAnfossi” a Milano e “1902” un anomalo Ristorante Trattoria, con atmosfere alla Simenon, a Palazzolo Milanese.
Il luogo è contenitore di eventi poetici, musicali, teatrali. Nel 2003 inaugura “Danza”, un’istallazione per la nave da crociera Costa Mediterranea e nel 2006 espone “Pagine d’Artista” allo SpazioAnfossi. A Shanghai, nel 2007, realizza il progetto “Plastica del Desiderio” un’installazione di grandi dimensioni a Times Square, in collaborazione con la Camera del Commercio Italiana in Cina. Nel 2009 presenta ad artandgallery ( Milano) la mostra Cross Stories, e nel 2010 inaugura a Shanghai presso il Shanghai Times Square "Cross MY Stories" un'esposizione di circa 500 disegni.
Attualmente vive e lavora tra Milano e New York.
( A cura Di Manuela Gandini)