Presenting a large part of the oeuvre of one of the great 20th century artists, Michelangelo Pistoletto’s exhibition gives us an insight into the main phases of his creative work since the 1960s, with special emphasis on his “dark” period, which served as our point of departure in conceiving the exhibition, selecting the works, and framing the dramaturgy of the display in the Cukrarna Gallery in collaboration with the Zerynthia Association for Contemporary Art in Rome. The title of the exhibition, Fourth Generation, also refers to this time that crucially determined the artist’s subsequent practice. Works from this otherwise seldom presented period, which the artist dubbed Art of Squalor (1985–1989) in one of his texts, are displayed on the second floor of the gallery. In addition to the drawings, paintings, and sculptures, the display includes a black on-site 70-meter wall drawing, executed by the students of the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and Design under the guidance of the artist.
