The exhibition John Giorno: The Performative Word is dedicated to the artist at the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna. This is the first major Italian retrospective devoted to the artist, who is considered one of the most radical and visionary figures in contemporary culture.
A central figure of the New York avant-garde, John Giorno was a poet, artist and activist who broke down disciplinary boundaries by turning poetry into a living body — an act capable of inhabiting unexpected spaces. His friendships and collaborations with influential figures such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, William Burroughs, John Cage and Patti Smith, as well as the establishment of Giorno Poetry Systems in 1965 — a non-profit organisation that revolutionised the dissemination of poetry by intertwining it with music, visual arts, political engagement and community-based practices — attest to Giorno's indispensable impact on the history of art.