Mirko Basaldella

Mirko Basaldella was an Italian sculptor and painter born in Udine on September 28, 1910. Coming from a family of artists, he pursued art from a young age, studying at the Venice Art High School, the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, and the School of Applied Arts in Monza, where he was a pupil of Arturo Martini. His first exhibition took place in 1928 in Udine alongside his brothers Afro and Dino. In 1934, he moved to Rome, where he joined the circle of the Galleria della Cometa and artists such as Corrado Cagli, whose sister Serena he married. His first solo exhibition was held in 1936 at the Galleria della Cometa, featuring bronze works that demonstrated mature technique and rich imagination.
He participated in the 1935 II Quadriennale of Rome and the Venice Biennales of 1952 and 1954, winning the first international sculpture prize at the 1955 São Paulo Biennale. After World War II, he created significant monumental works in Italy and the United States, including the famous Fosse Ardeatine Gate in Rome. From 1957, he lived mainly in Cambridge, USA, where he was director of the Design Workshop at Harvard University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His artistic and teaching career continued until his death in Cambridge on November 24, 1969.