Umberto Volante

Umberto Volante (5 May 1925 – 15 April 2016) was an Italian sculptor, educator and traveler.

Biography Born in Cona, in the province of Venice, Umberto Volante moved with his family at the age of three to Merano, in the province of Bolzano. After elementary school, he attended the State Institute of Art in Ortisei, becoming a master of art under the guidance of Ludwig Moroder (Bera Ludwig); in this period he was in close contact, among others, with Augusto Murer, Bruno Visentin and Claudio Trevi.

He graduated from the Art Institute of Carmini in Venice, then directed by Prof. Giorgio Wenter Marini.

He then attended the Magistery of Art and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, under the guidance of Alberto Viani. In 1948 he began the activity of sculptor in his studio in Merano, alternating it with the teaching of wood carving at the Art Institute of Carmini, which continued until 1965 (except for an interval between 1950 and 1956).

In this period, he also deepened the use of other plastic techniques, such as majolica, mosaic, bronze, embossed metal, as well as the pictorial techniques of fresco and graffiti and the graphic techniques of xylography. He came into contact with several artists of the Venetian circle of that time, such as Federico De Rocco, Mario Dinon, Bruno Saetti, Giulio Alchini, Amedeo Renzini, Sergio Schirato, Riccardo Schweizer, Yvan Beltrame, Eronda (Mario De Donà), Gazar Ghazikian.

In the interval between 1950 and 1956, he lived again in Merano, where he frequented the artistic environment of the town and where he befriended other artists, such as Ugo Claus, Oswald Kofler, Oskar Müller, Peter Fellin, Anton Frühauf, Emilio Dall'Oglio.

After several trips to different European cities, he settled permanently in Merano, continuing his research and artistic production alongside the teaching of art education at the Middle School G. Segantini.

He was commissioned to create frescoes and decorative graffiti for numerous buildings in Merano, Algund, Roveré della Luna, Malosco, Antholz, and Castello Tesino. He also designed and decorated some tombs in the cemetery of Merano.

From 1963 to 1973 he organized ceramic courses, attended by many citizens, to whom he taught the technique of modelling and decoration of ceramics, majolica and terracotta; at the end of the courses, the works of the students were exhibited at the Kursaal of Merano, hosted by the Tourist Office.

After his retirement, he continued to broaden and deepen his use of various expressive means (enamel on bronze, detachment of wall paintings, lacquer on wood), continuing his production until the last months before his death.

Travels Great importance assumed, in the artistic production of Umberto Volante, the various trips made in Europe: travel to Paris, with his wife Nora and friend Giulio Alchini, in 1957; travel to Madrid, with his family, through France and Spain, in 1959; travel through Italy, with his family, in 1963; travels to Athens, with his family, through Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1974; travel to Hämeenlinna, with his wife Nora, his brother Tiziano and his sister-in-law Sirpa.

Artistic activity Group exhibitions Exhibition of Modern Art, Kursaal, Merano, October 20 - November 5, 1950 XXVII International Exhibition of Art, Venice, June 19 to October 27, 1954 Exhibition of Venetian Artistic Craftsmanship, Geneva, 1954-1955 International Craftsmanship Exhibition, Munich, 1956 XXVIII International Exhibition of Art, Venice, June 16 to October 21, 1956 Santini, Volante and Tosello, City of Venice - Opera Bevilacqua La Masa (now Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa), Venice, June 1–12, 1958 Venetian Sculptors, City of Venice - Opera Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice, October 5–15, 1961 Artistic-well-being review in honour of Pope John XXIII, Merano, April 20 - May 26, 1991 Warrior Breast, Pinacoteca Civica "G. Cattabriga", Bondeno, 2005 Perspectives of Future, MeranoArte, Merano, 2012

Solo exhibitions Opera Bevilacqua La Masa (now Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa), Venice, 1958 Kuperion Gallery, Merano, 1973 and following Drawings and Sculptures, Exhibition Hall of the Tourist Office, Merano, January 13–21, 1973 "Gente di Mare" Hall, Deiva Marina, June - July, 1990 Church of the Torricella, Public Library of Castello Tesino, August 1993 Art Gallery of the Banca Popolare dell'Alto Adige, Merano, December 1994 Center for Culture, Mairania 857, Merano, 2006 Exhibition Hall, Municipality of Soave, July, 2013 Municipal Hall, Merano, May - June, 2014 "Testa di Ponte" Museum, Algund, April, 2015

Main works Closet with bas-reliefs, oak wood, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, 1954 Portals, oak wood, Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption, Merano, 1957 Altarpiece, glazed and gilded majolica in third firing, Church of S. Maria Assunta, Merano, 1959 Way of the Cross, glazed and gilded majolica, Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption, Merano, 1960 Crucifix, oak wood bas-relief, Church of Christ the King, Trento, 1959 Allegory of the school, bronze bas-relief, “G. Segantini” Middle School, Merano, 1967 Stele in memory of Piero Richard, bronze bas-relief, Racecourse of Maia, Merano, 1972 Sundial, majolica, Maiense Institute, Merano, 1987 Restoration of the putti, white concrete, front of the "G. Puccini" Civic Theater of Merano, 1993 Decorations on the facade of the Town Hall, ceramic bas-relief and graffiti, Castello Tesino, 1992

Other works Torso, boxwood Reclining figure, boxwood Seated figure, padouk wood Squatting figure, rosewood Seated figure, ceramic in third firing Centaur with bow, lost wax bronze

Honours