Remembering Mario Diacono (1930–2025)

It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of Mario Diacono on Thursday, October 30, 2025. A gallerist, art historian, poet, and artist, Mario Diacono played a decisive role in shaping the reception of postwar Italian art in the United States. Over the course of his career, he supported and accompanied artists whose work is central to the history of Magazzino Italian Art and its collection, including Mario Schifano, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Giulio Paolini, and Lucio Pozzi. His engagement with these artists is a testament to his uncommon capacity to recognize long-term significance beyond immediate success.

Living a long part of his life in the United States, first in Berkeley and later in New York and Boston, Mario served as a vital bridge between Italy and America, fostering dialogue between artists, critics, collectors, and institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. His work helped translate ideas, debates, and sensibilities across cultural contexts.

Alongside his activity as a gallerist and critic, Mario was a prolific and incisive literary author and translator. His poetic texts embraced the radical alchemy of mid-20th century avant-garde experimentation, treating the word as both material and lever for subverting conventions. Publications like Denomisegninatura (1962) and Mysticficactions (1927-67) form an essential part of his legacy, and the intelligence of their theoretical premises is reflected across his entire oeuvre in literature and art criticism.

Mario supported artists throughout their careers, generously sharing his knowledge, passion, and attention. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. His work endures in the artists he championed, the ideas he articulated, and the lives he profoundly touched. He loved and was so loved.