The German painter and the Italian Informel artist shared a deeply personal relationship which traces back to 1957, when Baselitz acquired Vedova’s painting Manifesto Universale. On the express wish of Georg Baselitz himself, it has been hung in the exhibition opposite his work Win. D. from 1959, which is exemplary of his early period. The two artists first met in person in Berlin in the early 1960s – a period, which formed a lasting impression on both of their outputs. An intensive friendship subsequently blossomed, which was to endure until Vedova’s death in 2006. At their first joint exhibition in 2007 at the Venice Biennale, Baselitz presented a painterly homage to his friend, combined with installations by Vedova. Further joint exhibitions in Berlin (2008) and Salzburg (2015) followed.

The Ma grigio series from 2015/16 alludes more or less overtly to Vedova, but also to other artist colleagues, such as Lucio Fontana. A pair of crossed legs in high-heel shoes rotate around a diffuse central point, engaging in a frenetic dance: Black, white and hues of grey dominate the paintings – as a colourful reminiscence to Vedova, in common with the majority of the Italian titles in the series.