Pippo Oriani (Turin 1909 - Rome 1972)

Pippo Oriani was born in Turin in 1909. He died in Rome in 1972. Originally from a family of building contractors, he broke off his architecture studies to devote himself to painting. In 1927 he met Fillia and debuted with the Futurist group at the International Expo in Turin. On that occasion he forged friendships with Prampolini, Farfa and Rosso. The group of Futurist artists from Turin were regulars at the Caffè Nazionale, where they met with the Gruppo dei Sei, also from Turin. In 1929 he exhibited still lifes at Galerie 23. In 1932 he presented three Futurist Aeropittura paintings at the Venice Biennale: Nascita della simultaneità, Paesaggio interplanetario and Divinizzazione dello spazio. Oriani’s theoretical and critical writings on issues concerning architecture in the 1930s represents one of the most interesting chapters of his life, when he contributed articles to the reviews Futurismo, Dinamo Futurista and La Terra dei Vivi. He also wrote extensively on religious themes and along with Fillia designed a church which, however, would never be built. During that same period he took part in the Futurist Exhibition of Aeropittura and Stage Design at the noted Pesaro Gallery of Milan and subsequently, in 1935, in the second Roman Quadriennale. He was also present in other Futurist exhibitions in Vienna, Istanbul and Lyon. His many interests included cinema and he even directed the film Vitesse. In the post-war years he continued to produce art in the Futurist manner and took part in many exhibitions, notably the Art Club International of 1947 and his last show at the Modern Art Gallery of Turin in 1962.