Piero Gilardi was born in Turin in 1942, where he still lives and works.
He's among the protagonists of the Arte Povera movement and, at the same time, his work belongs to Pop Art. From the beginning, his creations were based on nature, revisited in an artificial way: one example is Tappeti- Natura, made of colored expanded polyurethane, sculpted or notched. Lawns, gardens, orchards, forests, beaches and dry riverbeds are recreated in a transgenic, evolved and overstated way. At times, they technologically talk to the imaginary in evolution of contemporary world. In the last years, Gilardi has developed a series of interactive multimedia installations, with an intense activity in international exhibitions. As the person in charge of the Italian section, he promoted the following exhibitions in Turin: Arslab. Metodi ed Emozioni, in 1992; Arslab. I sensi del Virtuale, in 1995; Arslab. I labirinti del corpo in gioco, in 1998.

Among Gilardi's most recent exhibitions, it's worth mentioning his one-man show at Palazzo dei Diamanti of Ferrara in 1985, the exhibition at the Musèe des Art Decoratif of Paris in 1989 and his participation in the Venice Biennial in 1993. In 1999, he presented an important retrospective at the Loggetta Lombardesca of Ravenna. In 2000, he exhibited his works during the There is No Spirit in Painting exhibition at Le Consortium in Digione, France.

Gilardi's relationship with Galleria Fumagalli began in 1995, when he presented a one-man show where a series of Tappeti natura were exhibited. On that occasion, a volume with an interview by Marco Meneguzzo was published as well as a historic recognition of Gilardi's work from 1963 to 1995.