Piero Manzoni (1933-1963)

'I cannot seem to understand those painters who, though they claim to be interested in modern problems, still even now place themselves in front of the canvas as if it were a surface to be filled with colours and shapes, in keeping with the more or less laudable taste, more or less in tune. Once they have drawn or supplied a sign, they step back, look at what they have done, tilting their head to one side and gently closing one eye, then they leap forward once again, adding another sign, another colour from their palette, and carry on with this form of callisthenics until they have filled up the painting, covered canvas: the painting is complete: a surface of infinite possibilities is now reduced to a sort of recipient into which unnatural colours, artificial significances have been forced and compressed. And why, instead, should we not empty this recipient? Why not liberate this surface? Why not attempt to discover the limitless significance of a total space, of a pure and absolute light? Allude, express, represent are nowadays nonexistent problems, whether we are talking about the representation of an object, a fact, an idea, a dynamic phenomenon, or not' (Manzoni, quoted in G. Celant, 'In the Territory of Piero Manzoni', pp. 14-45, Celant (ed.), Piero Manzoni, exh. cat., Naples, 2007, p. 30).