Grazia Varisco (1937 Milan, Italy) is an Italian visual artist and designer whose pioneering work in Op Art and kinetic art has earned her international recognition. Born in Italy, she studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Milan (1956–1960) under Achille Funi, where she developed a rigorous approach to visual perception, spatiality, and movement. In 1960, she joined Gruppo T, a collective of artists exploring kinetic and programmed art, collaborating with Giovanni Anceschi, Davide Boriani, Gianni Colombo, and Gabriele De Vecchi. Through Gruppo T, Varisco participated in seminal exhibitions, including Arte Programmata (Milan, 1962), Nouvelle Tendance (Zagreb, 1963), and the Miriorama series (Milan, Genoa, Tokyo, Rome, Padua, Venice, 1960–63), which explored the interface between technology, optical illusion, and viewer perception.
Varisco’s early career also included work as a graphic designer (1961–1967) for La Rinascente, Abitare, Kartell, and the Milan City Council, where she applied her knowledge of geometric forms and visual dynamics to design, architecture, and publishing. This experience reinforced her interest in the relationship between structure, movement, and perception, which became central to her artistic practice.
Her artwork is characterized by meticulous investigation of optical phenomena, where geometric forms, light, and color interact to produce kinetic and perceptual effects. Varisco transforms static surfaces into dynamic visual experiences, engaging the viewer’s gaze and often creating the illusion of motion. She is recognized as one of the few women artists in the international Op Art movement, alongside Bridget Riley, Edna Andrade, and Vera Molnár, making a lasting impact on the field of kinetic and perceptual art.
Varisco has exhibited widely in both Italy and internationally, with highlights including the Venice Biennale (1964, 1986), Rome Quadriennale (1973), Toyama Triennale (1990), Force Fields: Phases of the Kinetic (MACBA, Barcelona and Hayward Gallery, London, 2000), Beyond Geometry (LACMA, Los Angeles and Pérez Art Museum, Miami, 2004), and Op Art (Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, 2007). From 1981 to 2007, she taught Theory of Perception at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, influencing generations of artists working at the intersection of visual perception and kinetic experimentation.
In recognition of her contributions to contemporary art, Varisco was awarded the Presidente della Repubblica Prize for Sculpture in 2007 by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano. Her work continues to inspire interest in the dialogue between art, science, and perception, emphasizing the transformative potential of visual experience.
For information on available works by the artist, please contact the gallery.