Dictionary
Transavantgarde and Arte Cifra

The terms "Transavanguardia" and "Arte Cifra", often used synonymously, describe the Italian variant of Neo-expressionism of the late 1970s and 1980s. The term Transavanguardia (English: beyond the avant-garde) is closely linked with the difficult concept of Postmodernism, it was coined by Achille Bonito Oliva, who applied the term to international art - however with a focus on Italian art.
Transavanguardia is often put on the same level with the concept of Arte Cifra, which was coined by Wolfgang Max Faust. The Italian word "cifra" (English: cipher, code) refers to the individualized content of the art, literally meaning coded, encrypted.
Transavanguardia and Arte Cifra turned against the predominant art tendencies of the second half of the 1970s, against the scantiness of the Arte Povera just as the intellectual austerity of Concept Art and Minimal Art. A new expressiveness was supposed to take their place, characterized by a free figuration, emotional pathos, ironic citations and mostly by a clear individualization. The latter also resulted in a pluralism of styles.
The "Neuen Wilden" (New Wild Ones) in Germany, "New Image Painting" in the USA and the "Figuration Libre" in France are similar tendencies. In a direct comparison with the German neighbor, the Italian Neo-expressionism seems to be more intellectual and coined by local traditions and references to ancient art, its harmonic beauty even echoes in the wild and boisterous works of Transavanguardia and Arte Cifra.
Among the main representatives of Transavanguardia and Arte Cifra are Sandro Chia (born in 1946), Francesco Clemente (born in 1952), Enzo Cucchi (born in 1949) and Mimmo Paladino (born in 1948).