richard nonas
His sculptures, made from raw wood, granite, and steel, are conceived as tools to transform any space into a place, meaning a symbolic and emotional space. Arranged in groups or exhibited individually, following specific linear geometries, the works establish a direct relationship with the environment. The choice of materials is also made to evoke emotional states such as permanence and solidity, or the passage of time and transformation, provoking a reflection on movement and transience.
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Richard Nonas was born in New York in 1936 and passed away at the age of 85 in May 2021. He studied literature and later social anthropology at the University of Michigan, Lafayette College, Columbia University, and the University of North Carolina. As an anthropologist, he conducted field research on Native American tribes in northern Ontario, Canada, northern Mexico, and southern Arizona. In the 1970s, he was part of a bold group of artists and curators in Soho and exhibited his work for the first time in a group show at 112 Greene Street. Some of his most recent exhibitions include: Kunsthalle Bangkok (2025); CAB Fondation, Brussels (2024); MAXXI Museum, Rome (2021); FiveMyles, Brooklyn (2020-21); Musee Gassendi, Digne-les-Bains, France (2019); MAMCO Geneva, Switzerland (2019); 'T' Space Rhinebeck, New York (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2017); MoMA PS1, New York (2016); MASS MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts (2016); and Walker Art Museum, Minneapolis (2012).
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Richard Nonas è nato a New York nel 1936 ed è morto all'età di 85 anni, nel maggio 2021. Ha studiato letteratura e poi antropologia sociale presso l'Università del Michigan, il Lafayette College, la Columbia University e l'Università della Carolina del Nord. Come antropologo ha fatto ricerche sul campo sugli indiani d'America nel nord dell'Ontario, in Canada, nel nord del Messico e nel sud dell'Arizona. Negli anni settanta faceva parte di un intrepido gruppo di artisti e curatori di Soho ed espose per la prima volta il suo lavoro in una mostra collettiva al 112 di Greene Street. Tra le sue mostre più recenti: Kunsthalle Bangkok (2025); Fondation CAB, Bruxelles (2024); Museo MAXXI, Roma (2021); FiveMyles, Brooklyn (2020-21); Musee Gassendi, Digne-les-Bains, Francia (2019); MAMCO Geneve, Svizzera (2019); 'T' Space Rhinebeck, New York (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2017); MoMA PS1, New York (2016); MASS MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts (2016); Walker Art Museum, Minneapolis (2012).
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