In Memoriam - Giancarlo Olgiati (1938-2026)

Magazzino Italian Art mourns the passing of Giancarlo Olgiati, one of the most important and discerning collectors of Italian and international modern and contemporary art.

Over more than half a century, Giancarlo approached collecting as a form of intellectual inquiry. Together with his wife, Danna Olgiati, he assembled an extraordinary collection spanning the historical avant-gardes, Futurism, Spatialism, Nouveau Réalisme, Arte Povera, and contemporary art. Giancarlo and Danna’s commitment to art ultimately assumed a public dimension: in 2012, they opened a substantial part of their collection to the public in Lugano through The Giancarlo and Danna Olgiati Collection, which has become an important point of reference for the study and appreciation of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art and a significant presence within the cultural life of the city. The exhibitions they organized over the years reflects not only an exceptional eye, but also a conviction that works of art acquire meaning through dialogue across generations and national boundaries.

For Magazzino Co-Founders Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu, Giancarlo’s passing is also deeply personal. Nancy and Giorgio first met Giancarlo and Danna at Galleria Stein, through the world of artists, galleries, and friendships that would shape their own lives as collectors. Over the years, Giancarlo became a true friend, always ready with a word of good counsel. A great connoisseur of wine, he also brought to friendship a sense of conviviality: conversation, art, food, and wine were all part of the same pleasure of being together. In Giancarlo, they recognized a strong belief in the responsibility of collectors to preserve, study, and ultimately share the art they love—an example that left a lasting impression on them.

Magazzino extends its deepest condolences to Danna Olgiati, to Giancarlo’s family, and to all those who knew him. His generosity, intellectual curiosity, and lifelong dedication to art leave an enduring legacy in Lugano and the world.