The exhibition "Arturo Vermi. Diary of Happiness" will open at Palazzo delle Paure on Friday, March 14th at 6:30 pm, organized by the Municipality of Lecco and Si.M.U.L. in collaboration with ViDi Cultural.

The exhibition, curated by Simona Bartolena, will be open from March 15th to June 8th, 2025, and it is the first exhibition of the new cycle "Grandi Mostre" at Palazzo delle Paure, entrusted by the Municipality of Lecco to ViDi Cultural for the triennium 2025-2028.

The solo exhibition of Arturo Vermi (1928-1988), undisputed animator of the artistic environments in Milan and Brianza from the late fifties to the eighties, gathers more than 60 works by the Bergamo artist, who lived for many years in the Brianza area of Lecco, capable of narrating all the phases of his research, from his early youthful works to the last years of his production.

While presenting examples of all the major cycles he created, the exhibition pays particular attention to a specific aspect of the master's research: the elective affinity of his research with the contemporary minimalist trends in Europe at the beginning of the sixties.

Trends that in some cases Vermi was able to anticipate, becoming an interesting precursor.

The exhibition benefits from the participation and collaboration of the Arturo Vermi Association and Archive, as well as loans from important private collections and from the artist's family.

Simona Bartolena, the curator of the exhibition, writes, "Like contemporary icons, Vermi's works suggest spiritual and transcendent readings, while remaining firmly grounded. The deep connection with Nature, with a universe that is always and in any case human, makes the artist's works, even the most essential and conceptual ones, emotionally engaging. Every mark made by Vermi is generated by an extraordinary ability to remain light, to want and know how to be happy. A happiness that is never selfish, but on the contrary, generously spent for others and contagious, teaching them to fly above contingencies. And precisely happiness becomes, in the seventies, the artist's chosen theme (and the true purpose of his existence)."

"Let's stop feeling guilty for being happy, we are guilty for not being so!"

Arturo Vermi

Arturo Vermi. Born in Bergamo on March 26, 1928. He started working at Pirelli but in his free time dedicated himself to painting. His early works were influenced by informal language. In 1961 in Milan, he founded the Cenobio Group with Verga, Sordini, Ferrari, La Pietra, and Lucìa. It was during this period that he created his first Diaries. A major figure in the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Brera district, Vermi also frequented the Botteghe di Sesto, another reference point for the artistic avant-gardes of the time. In 1967, his friendship with Lucio Fontana solidified, and Vermi deepened with him the concept of space. In the 80s, his pursuit of happiness led him to identify the clock as one of the main causes of humanity's woes. He then designed The Annologio, a "more human time measurer" based on the passing of seasons, but also proposing reflections, still sadly relevant and sensibly ahead of his time, on the conditions of our planet with works and actions such as How Beautiful the Earth Was. Arturo Vermi died in Paderno d'Adda (Lecco) on October 10, 1988.