Arnaldo Pomodoro
Arnaldo Pomodoro began his career as a surveyor and goldsmith in Pesaro but later moved to Milan where he became involved in the contemporary art scene and co-founded the art group Continuità. There, he connected with influential artists such as Lucio Fontana. Pomodoro quickly rose to prominence in the international art world during the 1960s and remained a significant figure in sculpture for decades.
Pomodoro is renowned for his monumental bronze sculptures that often incorporate geometric forms like spheres, discs, and pyramids. His most iconic series, Sphere Within Sphere (Sfera con Sfera), contrasts smooth, polished exteriors with intricate, fragmented interiors — symbolizing internal complexity, decay, and transformation. His work explores the tension between perfection and disruption, often representing the conflict between order and chaos, technology and nature, or surface and depth.
Among Pomodoro’s most celebrated works is Sphere Within Sphere, first created for Expo 1967 in Montreal and later installed at prestigious sites including the Vatican Museums, the United Nations Plaza in New York, and Trinity College Dublin. Another major public sculpture is Grande Disco (1972), a rotating bronze disc currently located in Piazza Meda, Milan. Throughout his career, he received numerous honors such as the São Paulo Biennale Prize (1963), Venice Biennale Prize (1964), and Carnegie Prize (1967). His work has been exhibited globally, with major retrospectives at venues like Forte di Belvedere in Florence (1984) and the Venice Biennale (1988), and continues to be promoted by the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro.
Collected by major institutions and notable private collectors:
— Guggenheim Museum— The Museum of Modern Art
— Vatican Museums
— Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (MART Rovereto)
Notable sales and auction records:
— Giroscopio IV, £ 674,5 thousand at Christie's, London, 2015— Sfera con sfera, £ 577,2 thousand at Christie's, London, 2012
— Disco, £ 505,2 thousand at Christie's, London, 2011
Artworks and Paintings
Biography and Artistic Career Highlights
Arnaldo Pomodoro was born on June 23, 1926, in Morciano di Romagna, Italy. His childhood was spent in the countryside of Emilia-Romagna, in a modest family of civil servants. In his youth, he showed an interest in engineering, architecture, and art. Later, he began studies in engineering and architectural drawing but soon turned to sculpture.
1940s — worked as a surveyor engineer, taking part in the restoration of monuments in Rimini, while at the same time making his first attempts as an artist and jeweler.
1954 — moved to Milan, where he became acquainted with the city’s artistic circles. It was here that Pomodoro began to develop his own sculptural language.
1950s — created his first bronze reliefs, featuring motifs of writing and symbols reminiscent of ancient signs.
1956 — participated in the Venice Biennale, which brought him recognition.
1960s — developed his famous series of spheres «Sfere», in which the smooth surface of the sphere appears to split open from within, revealing complex inner structures. These works became symbols of the interplay between harmony and destruction, perfection and chaos.
1966 — took part in the 33rd Venice Biennale, where he gained international acclaim.
1960s–1970s — installed large-scale sculptures in public spaces: «Sfera con sfera» (Sphere within a Sphere) in the Vatican, later at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and on university campuses worldwide.
1970s — created monumental projects such as «Column» and «Tablets». At the same time, Pomodoro worked as a stage designer for the theater, collaborating with directors such as Giorgio Strehler and Luigi Squarzina.
1980s — taught at universities in the United States, including in California. He continued to receive commissions for monumental sculptures for squares and museums.
1990s — his works were installed in major cities around the world, including Rome, Milan, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. Pomodoro became one of the most influential masters of contemporary sculpture.
1995 — founded the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation in Milan, aimed at supporting and promoting contemporary art.
2000s — continued creating new projects and holding retrospective exhibitions, including in Milan and the Vatican. His spheres became a symbol of Italian art in the second half of the 20th century.
2010s — actively took part in cultural projects, published monographs on his work, and organized major exhibitions to mark anniversaries.
Arnaldo Pomodoro passed away on June 22, 2025, in Milan. His work became an inseparable part of Italy’s cultural heritage and of global sculpture. His monumental spheres embody the fragile balance between the perfection of outward form and the inner tension of the world.
