Gigi Rigamonti (IT) produces sculptures, paintings, drawings, installations and photographs.
His paintings and sculptures are polyhedral: the expression of a free reconciliation of geometric rigor and creative freedom.
Gigi Rigamonti was born in Desio (Milan) in 1949. He lives and works in Lugano, Switzerland and San Pantaleo, Sardinia, Italy.
Gigi Rigamonti has shown his works extensively in solo and group exhibitions around the world.
From 1972 to 1982 he worked as a professional photographer. At the same time he nurtured a vocation for sculpture and in 1987 he had exhibition at Dalmy’s, in Montreal (Canada).
In 1983 he participated in the show Patafisica curated by Enrico Baj, at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. In 1989 he exhibited in the Gianni Versace show Un abito per pensare at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. In 1990 Rigamonti commissioned by Valentino Garavani for the exhibition "Trent'anni di Magia" by Valentino at Palazzo Gabrielli-Mignanelli in Rome, Italy. In 1992 Gigi held a show at the Golden Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. In 1995 Rigamonti commissioned by Christian Dior Company to create sculptures for the exhibition “Fifty years of the Maison Christian Dior” at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the U.S.
In 1996 Rigamonti commissioned by Gianfranco Ferré for creating new sculptures for a big show at Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. In 2000 Gigi Rigamonti had an another important commission. Commissioned sculptures for Giorgio Armani's exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Unites States.
In 2002 he participated with a solo exhibition in the first edition Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami (Florida) in the U.S. The same year 2002 he founded ArtandGallery, a multidisciplinary space located in a former opera theatre in the neighborhood of Isola, in Milan. From that moment, Rigamonti conceived of his work as an organism in continuous expansion, moving from painting to the social surroundings.
In 2002 Rigamonti commissioned by Costa Crociera Company and in 2003 he inaugurated large installation «Danza» for the cruise ship Costa Mediterranea. In 2005 he exhibited Le Cirque at the Xingfucun Art Center in Beijing, China. In 2006 he participated in Pagine d’artista at the Spazio Anfossi in Milan, Italy. In Shanghai, in 2007, he displayed Plastica del desiderio, a large installation in Times Square, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China. His collaboration with Times Square is proposed once again over the following two years with two different large installations, Il Circo and Il Tango. In 2009 he inaugurated his solo show «Cross Stories» in Milan at Artandgallery. In 2010 he presented 400 new works in Times Square in Shanghai, China. In June 2013 he inaugurated his solo exhibition ‘When semantics became art’ curated by Arturo Schwarz at Galleria Jean Blanchaert in Milan. In September 2013 he participated an exhibition ‘Global Projects – Artists at home and abroad’, Broadway Gallery, New York, United States. In October 2013 he presented his work in Panama at exhibition ‘LA MOLA, ART Sin Fronteras’. In May 2014 he inaugurated his new solo exhibition “The Way Out. L’invisibile nella societa dell’immagine” curated by Manuela Gandini at Galleria Civica in Campione, Italy. In May 2014 and 2015 Rigamonti was invited to take part with his paintings in auction of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s in Palazzo Reale in Milan, Italy.
In December 2014 he inaugurated his new sculptures for an exhibition «Bellissima" at MAXXI - Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo in Rome, Italy. After Rome this exhibition has been shown at Palazzo Reale in Monza, Italy and at Nsu Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) in the United States.
In June 2015 Rigamonti displayed his new artworks in solo show Portraits Imaginaires at the gallery of Finter Bank in Lugano, Switzerland. In July 2015 he inaugurated an exhibition Inner at Contemporary Art Museum in Collinas, Sardinia (Italy). The exhibition was curated by Bianca Laura Petretto.
In May 2016 Gigi Rigamonti was selected by City of Bra (Cuneo) in Italy and invited to have his solo exhibition Sotto-Sopra la Riga at Palazzo Mathis. The exhibition was curated by Cinzia Tesio.
In March 2017 he had a new solo exhibition Stupid World at The New Art Space in Lugano, Switzerland.
In February 2018 Rigamonti’s new sculptures were displayed at exhibition Italiana at Palazzo Reale in Milan, Italy.
In May 2018 Rigamonti had his solo exhibition British Cross Stories at Ransom Art Gallery in London, England.
In March 2019 he presented his new sculptures and canvases Streets of Life at The New Art Space in Lugano, Switzerland.
His work has been invited for Art Basel Miami Beach, United States , Biennale «Arte e Moda» in Florence, Italy, Courtrai Biennale in Belgium, Sotheby's Auction in Milan, Italy and many other art events.