Faire des pieds et des Mains

Enrico Baj (1924-2003), painter and sculptor, was born in Milan. From a young age Baj showed a precocious talent for art, even gaining the disapproval of the local authorities for using his art to make fun of fascist dignitaries visiting his hometown. In 1944 he fled to Geneva to avoid conscription. He studied painting at the Accademia di Brera, Milan (1945-8), while also studying law at the university there.

In 1951 he founded the arte nucleare movement with Sergio Dangelo, which unlike abstract art was overtly political. Baj himself was aligned with the anarchist movement. His most well-known pieces are probably the series of “Generals”: absurd characters made from found objects such as belts or medals. Baj died in 2003, aged 78.