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1941
Franz Borghese was born in Rome on January 21st. 1957 Tutored
by the Architect Maurizio Sacripanti for the admission exam, he registers
at the High Schol specialized in the arts in Via Ripetta.
His teachers include Domenico Purificato, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Umberto
Maganzini, Giulio Turcato. He begins to paint. He finds Voltaire’s Philosphic Dictionary of Voltaire at a
bookstall 1959 He
becomes a regular in Via Margutta. He
meets Sebastiano Sanguigni and Ugo Moretti 1961 He shares a studio with Sebastiano Sanguigni in a basement in Via Bertoloni. He meets Pietro Bellomo. 1962 He
rents the studio in Via Pompeo Magno, in Prati, where he stays for ten
years. He meets Daniela
Romano. 1964 He
founds the group and the homonymous magazine “Il Ferro di cavallo”, which publishes only alternate issues for
financial reasons. Contributors are Giorgio Fasan, Dario Bellezza,
Roberto D'Ercole, Massimo Antoci, Daniele Romano, Anna Paola Principe,
Paolo Petrucci, Francesca Romana Coluzzi, Maurizio Marini, Adalberto
Starace, Paolo Marletta, Stefanella Giovannini, Roberto Correnti, Diego
Cimara, G.B. Salatino, Alessandro Haber. He paints “La
ballade des pendus”. 1967 With Daniela Romano, Giorgio Fasan and many others he produces the
experimental painting-film “La
grande mela” (“The big apple”).
The film, with a neo-expressionist flavour, describes a
consumerist society, its alienations and its alternatives. It is screened
in Rome, in Via del Babuino and at the XI Festival dei Due Mondi in
Spoleto. He meets Albert Ceen,
Renzo Nissim, Elio Mercuri. T.W. Burger, the American gallery owner, purchases some of his paintings. 1968 He has his first exhibition in Rome, in Via Margutta, at a gallery that
he opened with the help of some friends.
He exhibits the large painting “On
Luther King’s Death”. The
catalogue contains an essay by Franco Simongini and
testimonials by his collegues Ugo Attardi, Marcello Avenali,
Edolo Masci and Ennio Calabria. On this occasion he meets Giovanni Omiccioli and Marcello Muccini, with
whom he shares a passion for chess. Though
this first private exhibition is not a success, on the evening of the
closing day the sports columnist Ennio Viero purchases three paintings: he
is the artist’s first collector. T.W. Burger arranges a private exhibition for the artist in his Chicago
gallery. One of his paintings is exhibited at the VI Rassegna d'Arti Figurative of
Rome and of Lazio at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Rome’s Pinacoteca Comunale purchases one of his works 1969 Satire and sarcasm make their appearance in his work, as well as the first characters, that will make it possible to draw parallels between his style and that of Grosz, Dix, Ensor, Maccari and Hoerle. 1970 At the private exhibition at the Il Calibro gallery in Rome, he presents
a set of paintings on the theme “The
Bourgeoisie on Trial”. He holds his first exhibition in Milan at the Il Cannocchiale in via Brera. Dino Buzzanti writes a flattering column about him in the “Il Corriere della Sera”. 1971 Private exhibition at the Margutta gallery in Pescara. Private exhibition at Viotti in Turin. 1972 Private exhibition Il Cannocchiale in Milan. His first studies and drawings are dedicated to military themes and militarism. He paints “I ciechi” (“The Blind”),of which he will produce various versions. 1973 Private exhibition at Trieste’s Torbandena and at the Bruzia gallery in
Reggio Calabria. He meets Franco Solmi. He engraves his first etchings. Jacob’s Atelier in Paris purchases some of his works Private exhibition at Trieste’s Torbandena and at the Bruzia gallery in
Reggio Calabria. He meets Franco Solmi. He engraves his first etchings. Jacob’s Atelier in Paris purchases some of his works 1974 Private exhibition at the Margutta gallery in Pescara. Private exhibition at the Palmieri gallery in Milan. He meets Salvatore
Fiume. 1975 He dedicated time to studying sculpture for a while. Private
exhibition at the Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia. He holds a private exhibition
at the O + G + Grafic in Munich. He exhibits at the X Quadriennale in Rome. He holds a private exhibition
at the Horms Gallery in Mannheim. Aided by Salvatore Fiume he paints the
large format “La condanna di Cristo” (“Christ’s Judgement) for the
Vatican Museums. 1976 He produces about a hundred satirical drawings on militarism, collected
in “W la guerra” (“Hurrah for
war”) published by Il Gianicolo in Perugia. The book is presented at
a travelling exhibition in Pescara,
Milan, Rome, Naples, Avellino and Bari. He holds a private exhibition at Bedford House in New York. 1977 Private exhibition at the Euro American Art Centre in Caracas. Private
exhibition at the Seiquer Gallery in Madrid.
He meets Giovanni Ramaglia and his wife Rossana Zampetti. 1978 Private exhibition at Il Gianicolo gallery in Perugia, where he presents
a portfolio titled “Sultifera
navis - La nave dei folli ed
altri fatti immaginari in cinque
acqueforti ed uno scritto di
Franz Borghese” (“Sultifera navis - The ship of mad men and other
imaginary facts in five etchings and an essay by Franz Borghese”), published
by Il Gianicolo. Private exhibition at Vienna’s Zentrum gallery. Private exhibition at the Forni gallery in Amsterdam. He
paints “Il concerto dell'uovo”
(“The Egg Concert”). He
meets Massimo Taramelli. 1979 Private exhibition of watercolours at the Forni gallery in Amsterdam. Private exhibition at La Robinia gallery in Palermo. He meets Milena Milani. 1980 Private exhibition at Il Gianicolo gallery in Perugia, where he presents two of his new sculptures: “Ufficiale e signora” (“Officer and Lady”) and “Il girotondo” (“Merry-go-round”) with a portfolio od etchings titled “Les amoreux - quattro acqueforti di Franz Borghese” (“Les amoreux - four etchings of Franz Borghese”) with a commentary by Ugo Moretti. Private exhibition at the Margutta gallery in Pescara. He entrusts Fidia publishing company to print his mixed media works, on which he has been working since 1977. 1981 He completes a group works on the theme “Il duello” (“The Duel”) and he dedicates a private
exhibition to them at Il
Cannocchiale gallery in Milan. He
meets Dario Micacchi. During this time he
produces the sculptures “La fotografia”
(“The photograph”), “La famiglia dell'ingegnere” (“The
engineer’s family”) and the group of twenty works from “I
temi fiamminghi” (“The flemish themes”)
cycle,
which is
published by Italarte. 1982 Private exhibition at L'indicatore gallery in Rome. Private exhibition at the Senato gallery in Milan.
He begings the studies for the etchings of the series “La
grande armée”.
He meets Mino Maccari. 1983 Private exhibition at Il Gianicolo gallery in Perugia, where he presents
a portfolio of graphics titled: “P-C-Challenger-uno-sette-sette-cinque”
(“P-C-Challenger-one-seven-seven-five”), a brief history of Franz
Borghese and five etchings. Private exhibition at the Forni gallery in Bologna. Private exhibition at the Soufer Gallery in New York. Private exhibition at Le Muse art centre in Bari. |
1984 He creates the sculpture “Il
fascino discreto” (“Discreet
Charm”). Private exhibition at Margherita gallery in Taranto. Private exhibition at L’Apogeo gallery in Naples. Private exhibition at Lisi
gallery in Lecce. Private exhibition at Margutta gallery in Pescara. He meets Stefano Farroni. 1985 He completes the sculptures “I
trampoli” (“The stilts”) and “Il
ritratto immaginario” (“Imaginary portrait”), which he presents
at an exhibition at Il Gianicolo in Perugia, along with all his other
earlier sculptures He paints “I giocatori di dadi”
(“The dice players”). Anthology at Rome’s Selfart. Private
exhibition at Spirale Arte in Milan. 1986 Private
exhibition at the Museo Nazionale of Castel Sant'Angelo. Carmine Benincasa is the curator of the exhibition, which
presents works produced between 1969 and 1986. A
monograph published by Giorgio Mondadori and Associates is presented at
Brerarte in Milan. With a preface by Giorgio Bocca, the book includes a
collection of watercolours and gouaches owned by Rome’s Selfart. 1987 His work “Più leggeri
dell'aria” (“Lighter than air”) appears on the cover of Arte’s
February issue. He produces a portfolio of lithographs titled “La
ballata delle Controverità”
(“The ballade of Counter-thrusts”) published by Il Gianicolo in
Perugia, inspired by Francois Villon’s homonymous ballade. He goes back to the study for the cycle of paintings titled “La
carriera del libertino” (“The libertine’s career”), revisiting
William Hogarth’s famous series. 1988 He paints “Il funambolo”
(“The funambulist”). He
sends to print the series of serigraphs titled “William
Wilson” created in honour of Edgar Allan Poe.. Private exhibition at Vallardi gallery in La Spezia. 1989 As a tribute to the French Revolutions,at the Arte Fiera of Bologna he
exhibits twenty watercolours titled
“Storia della grande Armée” (“History of the Grand Armée”),
taken from studies of the series of etchings that were never completed. Private exhibition with Rome’s Selfart at Biaf in Barcelona. Private
exhibition at Il Gianicolo in Perugia.
He completes the paintings for the series “La carriera del libertino” (“The libertine’s career”) for
his friend Pino Purificato, who exposes them at L'indicatore gallery in
Rome. He meets Roberto Rodriguez. 1990 He writes and illustrates “Waterloo,
battaglia immaginaria”
(“Waterloo, imaginary battle”), published by Roberto Nardacci’s
Il Tetto gallery in Rome. Nardacci presents the book and the works at a
private exhibition. Private
exhibition at Arte Immagine Santerasmo International gallery in Milan.
He meets Antonietta Baistrocchi. 1991 Private exhibition at Bastien-Art gallery in Brussels. Private exhibition at Gioacchini gallery in Ancona. The large painting “L'Atelier del
pittore o la vita è sogno (titolo
provvisorio)” (“The artist’s
atelier or life is a dream provisional titlè) is exhibited at
L’indicatore Gallery in Rome. The Fiat branch in Pescara presents an anthological exhibition, which includes works relative to the cycle “Invenzioni e scoperte” (“Inventions and discoveries”). 1992 One of his exhibitions of mixed media works on faesite board and drawings
tiotled “Invenzioni e scoperte,
ritratti immaginari ed altro”
(“Inventions and discoveries”, imaginary portraits and other”) is
presented at Palazzo Braschi in Rome. Private exhibition at Il Sale gallery in Catania. Private exhibition at
Margherita gallery in Taranto. Il Gianicolo arranges an anthological exhibition of his works at the Fiat branch in Perugia. 1993 Presentation of a monograph, published by Cronopios in Rome, with the
introduction by Angelo Mistrangelo at a private exhibition at Turin’s
Piemonte Artistico Culturale. The art centre Il Gianicolo in Perugia presents Franz Borghese’s “Il
manuale di Fisiognomica” (“The Manual of Physiognomy”). Published by Il Gianicolo in Perugia, the book contains paintings,
writings and drawings on which Borghese, who has interest in the subject,
has been working for two years. 1994 In January, Rome’s Selfart presents the second edition of “Waterloo
battaglia immaginaria” (“Waterloo, imaginary battle”) published
by Cronopios in Rome. He presents the painting “La
nave dei Folli” (“The ship of mad men”) at Milan’s Senato gallery
and Rome’s L’Indicatore. Again in Milan, at the Centro Arte gallery, he also presents the works from the cycle “Appendice al manuale della Fisiognomica” (“Appendix to the Manual of Physiognomy”). 1995 Italarte publishes a collection of autobiographical writings titled “Storia
di una vocazione” (“History of a vocation”), along with a group
of drawings that Franz Borghese drew especially for the occasion.
In October, at Milan’s Santerasmo gallery, he presents
a new cycle on the theme of “Inventions
and discoveries” . Franz Borghese is featured on the cover of Giorgio Mondadori and Associates’ October issue of Arte. 1996 He paints a new version of the work “Il fascino discreto” (“Discreet Charm”) on a large format canvas. He begins to produce the first studies of the cycle “Le macchine volanti” (“Flying machines”). He holds a private exhibition of paintings and sculptures at the Diseno gallery in Madrid. 1997 Giorgio Mondadori and Associates dedicate the cover of the Catalogo
dell’Arte Moderna Italiana to Franz Borghese.
He completes the portfolio of lithographs titled “Storie
e misfatti del governo vecchio”
(“Stories and crimes od the old government”), a tribute to the
poet G.G. Belli - published by Il Gianicolo in Perugia. He begins the studies for the etchings of the “Tutti gli uomini del
piano regolatore” (“All the men
of the Town-Plan”) cycle. He presents the painting “L'operazione chirurgica” (“The surgical operation”) at Arte Padova ’97. 1998 He completes the sketches for the numbered bronze series of the
sculptures “Il duello” (“The
duel”) and “La cornetta
acustica di Hamilton” (“Hamilton’s ear-trumpet”). He produces the sketch for the numbered bronze series of the sculpture “Desiderio
del volo” (“Wish for flight”) for Alitalia’s Premio Leonardo.
Il Gianicolo in Perugia publishes the book “Franz Borghese - Antologia di disegni degli anni settanta-novanta” (“Franz Borghese - Anthology of drawings from the seventies to the nineties), which includes over four hundreds works. 1999 Private exhibition at the Tour Fromage in Aosta. He completes the
etchings of the series titled “Tutti
gli uomini del piano regolatore” (“All the men of the town-plan”). Private exhibition at L’Immagine gallery in Arezzo. 2000 Private exhibitions at the Fondazione Carnevale in Viareggio and at
Villino Boilleau. Private exhibition at Li.Arte Giotto gallery in Palermo. Private exhibition at the Gioacchini gallery in Cortina d'Ampezzo. |
