Spatial Concept ‘Waiting’
- Artist: Lucio Fontana
- Date: 1960
- Medium: Canvas
- Dimensions: unconfirmed: 930 x 730 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is *Spatial Concept 'Waiting'* by Lucio Fontana. Created in 1960, the work is a natural canvas about 93 by 74 cm, but its power comes from a single razor cut that splits the surface. Fontana began experimenting with cuts—*tagli*—in the late 1950s, turning the canvas into a portal to space. In this piece the slash erupts with a sharp, almost violent gesture, yet Fontana insists it is construction, not destruction. The cut draws the eye inward, suggesting a void beyond the painted plane. The back of the canvas bears the inscription “attesa,” the Italian word for waiting, anchoring the work in the theme of anticipation. The gesture is both a literal and metaphorical wound, echoing Fontana’s belief that art dies but is saved by gesture. It sits in the Tate Modern’s “Artist and Society” display, inviting visitors to look beyond the surface into the space that lies behind.
See it in person
Spatial Concept ‘Waiting’ is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
