Piero Gilardi (Italy, 1942–2023)

Mele cadute (1977)

Foam rubber in plexiglass case — 3D multiple
15" x 15" x 5"
Edition of 100
Signed, dated, and numbered on base

Overview

Offered is Mele cadute (“Fallen Apples”), a 1977 three-dimensional work by Piero Gilardi, one of Italy’s most important postwar artists and a key figure in the development of Arte Povera and interactive environmental art.

Executed in foam rubber and presented in a plexiglass case, this editioned work embodies Gilardi’s exploration of artificial nature—hyper-real yet synthetic, tactile yet conceptual. The apples, rendered in foam, simulate organic decay while remaining industrial in material, challenging perception and material authenticity.

Medium & Construction

• Foam rubber sculptural elements
• Encased in plexiglass
• Three-dimensional relief format
• 15 inches x 15 inches x 5 inches
• Signed, dated 1977, and numbered on base
• From an edition of 100

Gilardi’s foam works are historically significant within his “Nature Carpets” and related investigations, where artificial materials recreate natural environments in a provocative, tactile format.