MARIO MERZ

Fibonacci, 1975

Mario Merz (1925–2003) was one of the leading figures of Arte Povera. His artwork Fibonacci reflects on the relationship between mathematical order and natural processes. In the 1970s, Merz began to explore the concept of exponential growth through the Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. For the artist, numbers represent rational tools for approaching the irrationality of life; the image of the snail and the spiral also recur symbolically in Merz’s work. The numerical sequence, often inscribed on humble, organic materials, suggests that growth and evolution are governed by universal laws, transcending the boundaries of individual identity. Fibonacci thus becomes a metaphor for the expansion of nature and human knowledge, exploring the accumulation of experience and understanding. From this perspective, the work stands as a conceptual fulcrum, proposing a principle of interconnection between the real and the symbolic. It invites reflection on crucial themes, such as environmental crises and global transformations, that are addressed throughout the exhibition.