ABOUT US
After the premature and sudden death of my father Cio Zanetta on January 26, 2021, I found myself in my hands a large amount of his works, part of his production in 42 years of artistic career.
It consists of hundreds of paintings, prints, drawings, sketches and "paintings-sculptures".
I proceeded to list all his exhibitions (about fifty private and collective) made over the years, in Ticino, Switzerland, Italy, France and the United States and the works carried out at the request of third parties, attaching, where they are present, the flyers, invitations, catalogs and newspaper articles relating to individual exhibitions.
Many of his works can be found in public and private collections in Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Greece and America.
All of this can be found on the website created specifically to remember and disseminate the work of this very active and multifaceted artist from Ticino.
The site contains a photographic catalog of the works that remain in my possession, grouped in the “COLLECTION” submenu, many of which are for sale (e-Commerce or by contacting me privately to be able to view them), while others are part of mine or other private collections.
I decided to divide the collection into 8 subfolders, the first five represent the decades from 1970 to 2010 (including 2020), while the last three group different techniques:
- Graphics: includes screen prints, prints, etchings and lithographs.
- Wood compositions: includes a part of the “FUTURIBLE FINDINGS” series exhibited in 1990 at the Am Waidfussweg Gallery in Zurich, some of “RECYCLING” and his other creations in oil painted wood.
- Mixed technique: includes mixed technique works and works in pencil, ink, tempera, pastel, watercolor, painted collages, sketches ...
The works in the "COLLECTION" are displayed at random, while in the folders of the decades you will find them in chronological order (evolution of the artistic path of Cio).
In "BIOGRAPHY" you will find a biography written a few years ago by Flavia Crameri and one written by art critic Maria Will, followed by the list of personal and collective exhibitions.
In “REVIEWS” I have grouped together a series of reviews, critiques, interviews and presentations written over time for specific exhibitions, which you can read by clicking on the links below. From August 2023 also a post-mortem critique written by art critic Maria Will "Profile of the work of Cio Zanetta". I found the 1979 one written by Ugo Lo Russo Dindo in a newspaper article very interesting, for his first exhibition at a famous art gallery in Milan (La Nuova Sfera), when it was still unknown.
In "EXHIBITIONS" I have chronologically cataloged all the private and collective exhibitions that I have been able to trace during his artistic career, attaching where present the invitations, flyers, posters, exhibition catalogs and newspaper articles that you can view by clicking on the links below.
In "PHOTOGRAPHIC CATALOGS" you will find the photo albums of other works by him, many of which no longer in my possession (sold or given away over time by the artist), which Cio used as samples to present his works.
While in "OTHER" I wanted to group photos of him and of old exhibitions (little material found), creations, participation in events (Museo in Erba, Jazz on a Summer Night for the New Orleans Jazz Festival in Ascona, anniversaries for companies, ...) and works performed for third parties.
And finally in "VIDEOS" you will find three short documentary services made about him by the Italian Swiss Television (RSI):
- one concerning participation in an interactive exhibition in honor of Andy Warhol, at the Museo in Erba in Lugano in 2010 entitled "The oasis of creativity" (Cio at 13'22 '' - Mr. Warhol's cow).
- one entitled "A suitcase full of memories" created by Claudio Tettamanti in 1998/99 during an installation dedicated to traditional Jazz music, assembling mannequins and instruments to create a special orchestra, with the extraordinary participation of the New Orleans singer Lillian Boutté (family friend).
- one entitled "Cio Zanetta, from Mendrisiotto to Bellinzona" made by Graziano Terrani who dedicated this report to him, which was broadcast on the television program "Il Quotidiano" on 25 April 2000, on the eve of a new exhibition series in the spaces of the Gallery " Frame »dedicated to 12 artists.
I also wanted to add an audio file with the announcement of his death, broadcast by Massimo Zenari on RSI-Rete 2 on 01.28.2021, soundtracked with a piece by Dave Brubeck - "Take Five" he cared a lot about, and on the tail I inserted an extract of his voice captured during a radio broadcast on 01 March 2020 (Guess who's coming to lunch, by Carla Norghauer, RSI-Rete 1).
If anyone were in possession of historical and / or photographic material of his works or participation in his exhibitions and would like to send it to me to include them in the archive, I would ask him to contact me: I would be extremely happy.
And, finally, it is my intention to promote direct knowledge of my father's works through exhibitions, both unpublished and retrospectives.
Teo Zanetta
