Michelangelo Pistoletto was born in Biella, Italy in 1933. His first group exhibition was in 1955, in 1960 he had his first solo show at Galleria Galatea in Turin. Between 1961 and 1962 he create the first “mirror paintings”, images on stainless steel surfaces that allow the visitor to enter the painting. A revolutionary idea that made him one of the most innovative artists of the century.

Around 1966 he created the “Oggetti in meno”, one of the first works of the Arte Povera movement. From 1967 he realize public and interactive exhibition that still continue in the recent years. He build up the “Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto” the foundation with the collection of his most important works and for sponsoring project for a sustainable society.

He held exhibitions through the years in the most important museums in the world like the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1966, the MoMA in New York in 1988 and the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome in 1991. His artworks are in the collection of TATE Gallery in London, MoMA and Guggenheim in New York.

He participate to nine editions of the Venice Biennale and four editions of Documenta in Kassel. He currently live and work in Biella, Italy.