Concise and yet intensely lyrical, Concetto spaziale, Attesa is a rare multimedia work from Fontana's so-called Tagli series-- the cuts. The smooth cut of the razor incision finds its counterpoint in the velvet which bisects the canvas. Meanwhile, as a tiny apostrophe, a flash of colour on the silver background, is a lone glass 'stone'. With this contrast between space, glass and velvet, Fontana introduces an intriguing play of textures and contrasts, each element emphasising the qualities of the other. Concetto spaziale, Attesa prefigures the baroque character of Fontana's Venice pictures, created in 1961, yet is marked by a distinctive and restrained, spare poetry that appears to owe much to some of the early works of the Spanish artist Joan Miró.
The contrast of textures on the surface of Concetto spaziale, Attesa is also heightened by the silver background, which itself adds to the play of space that lies at the crux of Fontana's work. This silver has the metallic sheen of the hi-tech world of space travel, while also hinting at the mirror-like qualities that introduce a hint of infinity within the surface, as well as in the slash that opens up the infinite space behind it. And the silver, reflecting albeit in an opaque manner, the world of the viewer before Concetto spaziale, Attesa, means that the light changes as the world in front of the picture shifts. The viewer becomes involved in the shifting light effects which are themselves such an important part of Fontana's Spatialism.

Adding an intimate character to the gentle poetry and unique status of Concetto spaziale, Attesa, it is intriguing to note that this work bears a dedication on the reverse from Fontana to his goddaughter, who was its first owner.