Gaetano Pesce

Gaetano Pesce (La Spezia, November 8, 1939 – New York, April 3, 2024) was an Italian sculptor, designer, and architect, celebrated for his experimental and innovative contributions to design and contemporary art.

Biography

Pesce studied architecture at IUAV in Venice, later attending the Institute of Industrial Design. In 1959, he joined the Ennea Group, a collective of young artists, which dissolved the following year. In 1972, he participated in the MoMA exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape.

From 1983, he lived in New York, founding the design company Fish Design. His work was exhibited worldwide, including at MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, which held a retrospective in 1996.

Designer and Sculptor

Pesce was a pioneer of the radical design movement. His iconic UP Series chairs, created in the 1960s, blended industrial design with social commentary. Sculpture remained central to his work, often intersecting with design, with pieces such as Sessantuna and L’Italia in croce reflecting both artistic and cultural critique.