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photo of Gabriel Henri Oriani at Miland’ conference
Enrico Gabriele Oriani, Bianca Buzzano’s and Giuseppe (Pippo) Oriani’s only child, was born in Turin on May 20, 1939.
last Pippo Oriani’ photo in Moscow – may 1972
Mr. Oriani carried out his studies in Turin, enrolling at the School of Architecture at the Politecnico in 1961.
In his university years, he was heavily involved in experimental film making, producing around thirty short films. This afforded him the opportunity to come into contact with the New American Filmakers Cooperative, Paul Adam Sitney and Jonas Mekas and screened three films at an American undergound film festival in 1967 in Turin. In the same year, he is invited, along with Edoardo Sanguineti, to the Festival of Knokke-le-Zoute (Belgium) and founds the Cooperative of Independent Cinema to which Italian and European film-makers are members.
In 1968 he was invited to direct the experimental section of the "Teatro Stabile" in Turin and establishes the "Tecnoteatro"; the world’s first examination of technological and electronic scene elements. In October he presented his "Futur-Balla/Realtà" at the 27th International Theatre Festival of Venice (the show consisted of the remaking of the futuristic materials of Balla, Cangiullo and various futurists), followed by representation on a poster in Turin and in 1969 at "Experimenta" in Frankfurt.
During these years, he maintains close contact with Michelangelo Pistoletto (for whom he screens the documentary "Float"), Mario and Marisa Merz, Ugo Nespolo, Michel Seuphor, Jacques Prevert (with whom he wrote the screenplay "Evenements"), Jean Jacques Lebel, Cesare Zavattini (with whom he actively worked on the Free movie newspapers, "Cinegiornali Liberi" of which one of his documentaries was screened at Rome's 2008 Film Festival). He was accepted to the ANAC - ("Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinema"), the National Association of Cinema Authors, of which some of the most important Italian directors (Bertolucci, Maselli , Scola, Pirro, etc.) are members.
In 1970 he moved with his family to Rome.
In 1971, he creates the company "Teatro Aperto" in Rome, and stages the "Scacchiera davanti allo specchio", a "metaphysical" play based on a short story by Massimo Bontempelli. This play was presented at the Festival of Theatre of Palermo in 1972 and then it went on tour throughout Italy.
For scenes in the Oriani show he called the following painters: Pietro Gallina (for the chess pieces and costumes) and Antonio Carena (for the sky background and the curtains).
In the same year of 1972, he is invited by the Municipality of Palermo and the Region of Sicily to present his documentary " U’ festinu " (Photography directed by the great cinematographer Marcello Gatti) at the Festival of the Patron Saint Rosalia. This documentary also earns him the Anica Cup/Agis at the Festival of Como.
In December, 1972, he loses his father Pippo to a car accident in Rome, and thereafter takes over his father’s architectural firm which was founded by his grandfather in 1895 in Turin. He then completes several important projects in Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Viet Nam, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon and many more.
In 1994 he moved to Geneva. In 1995 along with his friend Earl of Robiano (owner of the Castle of the eighteenth century of Marchin), establishes the first "Oriani Foundation" based in this castle.
The purpose of the Foundation was to rekindle his father's forgotten name by displaying his works in exhibitions and various cultural events, allowing it to regain strength on the market.
In 1999, for family reasons, he moved to Metz in France. In 2002, he moved the Oriani Foundation from Geneva to Metz.
In 2005, always for family reasons (his wife belonging to the diplomatic corps), he moved to Ottawa, Canada. On January 13th, 2009 he receives the "Patent Letters" from Industry Canada in Ottawa which officially recognizes the "Oriani Foundation / Fondation Oriani Canada" for which he, Gabriel Oriani, presides. He is assisted by a committee of experts which include Giovanni Lista, Vittorio Sgarbi, Mariastella Margozzi.
From 1995 to the present day, he organizes exhibitions and writes essays and presentations in exhibition catalogues. He is officially recognized as the leading expert on Oriani, even by major art critics (namely Mario Verdone, John List, Vittorio Sgarbi).
In 1966, he recovered a copy of the film "Vitesse" by Pippo Oriani (1930) from the London Film Archive. Thanks to collaborations with the Center for Experimental Cinematography of Rome, this restored copy was screened in June at the XXV Exhibition of "Refound Film" which took place in Bologna. The Oriani Foundation which holds the rights to this film, has loaned it to various cultural events allowing it to be screened in London, Washington, Belo Horizonte, Frankfurt and at the Centennial of the Futurism movement 1909-2009 in Bari, Rome, Milan, Cagliari, etc.
He created the Oriani Archive which catalogues more than 1200 works and within a few years he compiled the edition of the first volume of the "General Oriani Catalogue "- Giorgio Mondadori Editorial -2009. This work was officially presented to the public at a conference by Vittorio Sgarbi at the Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum/Gallery of Modern Art in Rome on October 13, 2009 in the presence of authors such as Giovanni Lista and Mariastella Margozzi. This catalogue, rich in critical texts, extensive biography and bibliography, published 895 special editions in colour, noted for its printing and the quality of reproduction.
He receives daily requests for his expertise and certificates of authenticity: maintains close relations with the Italian Authorities for Artistic Heritage Protection against forgery and misrepresentation.
The Oriani Foundation issues on a regular basis, official certificates of authenticity as determined by Mr. Gabriele Oriani's, the sole heir, who is legally authorized and recognized.
Having a close relationship with his father, he witnessed the pictorial excursus and has known many people who have made Art history in the twentieth century: René Clair, Michel Seuphor, Edoardo Sanguineti, Marino Marini, Cesare Zavattini, Sergio Amidei, Mario Soldati, Mino Rosso, Francesco Maselli, Ugo Pirro, Jacques Prevert, Jean Luc Godard, to name a few.
Inspired by his father's active involvement with the futurist movement, he has been able to draw from this and become a great connoisseur of this art movement qualifying him to give conferences at cultural events and write about this topic.
In the year that marked the Centennial of the Futurist Movement (2009), he actively participated in many celebratory events in which his father's works were present, including: "Palazzo Reale" of Milan, "Fondazione Magnani Rocca" of Parma, "Collecting Futurism", an exhibition travelling from Brindisi Cairo, Beirut, Lisbon, Prague, Bratislava (curated by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage), Priam of Savona and numerous art galleries with monographic exhibitions.
Since the publication of the first volume of the General Oriani Catalogue, the compilation and archiving of his works for the second volume has been initiated.
The foundation has its main office now established in Ottawa, and maintains another office in Milan, Italy.
cover of Oriani General Catalogue first volume/published on 2009
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