Lucio Fontana - Milan

In 1956, Lucio Fontana created an engraved and painted ceiling for the dining hall of the Hotel del Golfo in Procchio, in the Island of Elba. Fontana coated the ceiling with a white plaster that closely resembled the sandy beach in front of the hotel and added cuts, engravings and lumps of matter in a range of limited colors: white, yellow, red, green and blue. In 2000, the owners of the hotel wanted to expand the building and contacted the Fontana Foundation to enquire about the risks of damaging the ceiling and the possibility of disposing of the artwork. As the building was not subject to any restrictions and owners' plans had all been approved, it was pratically impossible to oppose the renovation, which in turn made the intervention even more urgent. The technicalities involved in removing the painting were analyzed and the potential loss of the unique characteristics of the artwork was considered. The 150 square meter ceiling was detached and divided into 25 panels which were applied to mobile supports. They are now on permanent display in the 20th Century Museum in Milan.
(Photo by D. De Lonti, B.Ferriani and C.Vazio)