Thesis title: La presenza dell’elemento naturale nelle esposizioni biennali tra Venezia e Parigi, 1960 - 1990
This thesis focuses on the relationship between art and nature, investigating the use of natural materials as artistic media within biennial exhibitions, with a particular focus on the Venice and Paris biennales. The study aims to analyse the evolution of works created with natural elements by considering their materiality when transferred from their original environment to the exhibition space. This creates a semantic short circuit whereby the natural object is removed from its original function and acquires a new symbolic meaning. Spanning thirty years of exhibitions, the research analyses sixteen editions of the two biennials using a methodology that integrates primary sources, such as official catalogues, archival files, transcripts of preparatory meetings, photographs and administrative materials, alongside existing critical literature. The artworks were classified according to four main thematic categories: the aesthetics of nature; land art; ecological protests; and the animal dimension. This approach enables a coherent and unified interpretation of the artistic strategies adopted by individual artists in their use of natural materials. The study demonstrates that, from the 20th century onwards, there was a growing interest in the aesthetic value of natural objects themselves. However, it was in the 1960s that we witnessed a true reversal of the nature-art binary: the material became the subject of independent research and was often left raw or perishable. It was inserted into the exhibition space without technical intervention, as seen in works that alter plant growth, mounds of earth that have been moved and relocated in galleries, and installations that reflect on the landscape. The research also focuses on the biennial context as an international platform. The Venice Biennale, founded in 1895, was consolidated as a state institution in 1928 and progressively expanded to include music, cinema, theatre, architecture and dance, in addition to painting and sculpture. Meanwhile, the Paris Biennale, active from 1959 to 1985 as the Biennale des Jeunes Artistes, provided a platform for young, emerging artists, showcasing interdisciplinary art forms such as video art, architecture, and collaborative compositions. A comparative analysis of these two contexts reveals similarities in the use of natural materials and curatorial choices, as well as differences in organisational structures, selection systems and exhibition policies. It demonstrates how key curatorial figures influenced the aesthetic and thematic approaches of the biennials, thereby fostering the historical legitimacy of movements such as Land Art and Arte Povera. The research also filled gaps in the official catalogues, which often lacked precise descriptions of materials, by carefully consulting archival files, administrative documentation and transcripts of preparatory meetings for the biennials. By analysing participation and exhibition materials, it was possible to not only reconstruct the evolution of works created with natural materials, but also to highlight the pivotal role of curators in shaping artistic trends and promoting the international visibility of innovative practices. The investigation shows how the natural medium, which is variable and subject to degradation over time, gives the works a temporal and mutable dimension. This highlights the challenges of conservation and exhibition, while also underscoring the aesthetic and symbolic value of the material itself. By comparing the Italian and French contexts, we were able to identify similarities and differences in selection policies, curatorial management and the integration of works into the exhibition space. This revealed that the Paris and Venice Biennales have played complementary roles in developing artistic practices involving the use of natural materials and site-specific experimentation. Overall, the study emphasises the significance of biennial exhibitions as valuable tools for comprehending the evolution of natural materials in contemporary art. It emphasises the influence of curators in shaping aesthetic and thematic directions, and suggests avenues for further comparative research. This research indicates the necessity of exploring the connections between international events and the impact of natural materials on the history of contemporary art.