Forcefully pierced with one single slash on the monochrome surface, the bright surface of Concetto Spaziale, Attesa from 1967 draws the viewer into a sensation of space. The viewer is confronted with infinity through the perfect balance of the tension in the canvas and the void of the blackness beyond it. Through his clean, crisp cut, he creates movement and space, letting the idea unfold that “sculpture and painting are both things of the past, we need a new form. Art that’s movement. Art within space” (Lucio Fontana cited in Hedy A. Giusti, 'But Nobody Mentions Milan Art', Rome Daily American, 9 July 1954, in: Anthony White, 'Lucio Fontana: Between Utopia and Kitsch', Grey Room, No. 5, Autumn 2001, p. 56).

The present work is a vivid example of Fontana’s most recognised series and dates back to the years of the height of the artist’s international career. A year prior to executing the present work, in 1966, he filled an entire room with all white works from the series Tagli at the Venice Biennale, stating that he found a way of “giving the spectator an impression of calm, cosmic rigour, of serenity in infinity” (Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni,Vol I, Milan 2006, p. 105). In this case, instead of the cool white tonality, Fontana opted for a luminous, fluorescent hue, that alludes to the vibrancy of the Sixties.

The Italian artist worked on five different manifestoes which paved the way for the genesis of “Spazialismo”, the art movement he founded in 1947. He first started exploring the concept with the first Manifesto Blanco, in which he stated, “we don’t care if a gesture, once performed, lives for a moment or a millennium, since we are truly convinced that once performed it is eternal” (First Spatialist Manifesto, 1947, reproduced in Enrico Crispolti et al. (eds.), Lucio Fontana, Milan 1998, pp. 117-18).

The series of Tagli, one of the most important contributions to the history of contemporary art, is revolutionary, since it consists of an original interpretation of the artist’s gesture, which no longer remains on the surface, but penetrates the canvas. The artist created these works with a sharp blade that he manipulates with dexterity to quickly cut into his still wet canvases in a singular, descending gesture. He then widened each incision with his fingers, allowing the freshly cut strips to curve inwards. Finally, he would apply black gauze - or “telleta” - to the reverse of the torn canvas to accentuate its impression of infinite depth and suggest the insurmountable nothingness of the cosmological void. Fontana’s approach to the canvas can be compared to the experiments of several avant-garde artists, including Yves Klein’s bright monochromes or in Dan Flavin’s luminous installations, which emphasise the use of natural elements such as light and air.

The Tagli are arguably considered to be some of the most sought-after group of works ever created by Fontana. Works such as Concetto Spaziale, Attesa, serve to highlight the historical importance of the Italian artist, highlighting his unique vision and placing him at the forefront of post-war history.