He died on June 22, 2025 in his home in Milan, the day before he turned 99, the artist Arnaldo Pomodoroone of the greatest Italian contemporary sculptors. Tomato – Giorgio’s older brother “Giò” tomato, in turn sculptor – is famous above all for his Great bronze spheres that break up: These imposing works seem to “break” in front of those who look at them to reveal the internal mechanism, which often denotes great complexity. More generally, in his art he dominates a rigorous “geometric spirit“, With forms that refer to the perfect Euclidean solids marked by dense plots.
Born in Morciano di Romagna on 23 June 1926, Arnaldo Pomodoro studied as a surveyor and then dedicated himself to the sculpture and goldsmiths at full time. Especially since the 1950s, his informal language has been evolving together with the used materials: before gold and silverwhich he used to create jewels, then iron, wood, cement and bronzewhich will become his favorite subject for small works but above all for the monumental sculptures that have made him famous. He also experienced with the scenography, poetry and graphics, as well as obviously to drawing. His works are exhibited in many Italian cities in even important public places, such as the Vatican Museums and the Palazzo della Farnesina. In Milan there is also a large underground labyrinth, one of the examples of environmental works created by tomato in his career.
In the early sixties he took part, with Lucio Fontana and other famous Italian artists, to the informal group “Continuity“, refining a style that makes one’s heart the balance between external geometries and internal mechanismsand therefore moving more and more towards the monumental dimensions that allowed him great precision and wealth.
Very present throughout Italy, from large cities like Rome and Milan to small towns such as San Giovanni Rotondo (there is a piece of his in the basilica of Padre Pio di Renzo Piano), the tomato works are also found around Europe and in the world, from the United States to Australia.
On his vision the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundationwhich guaranteed the conservation and enhancement of its work, committing itself to spread its material and immaterial heritage with exhibitions, events and initiatives.
