Togo (Enzo Migneco) is born in Milan in 1937, but lives his childhood
years in Messina, the city of his family’s origins.The end of the fifties sees him participating in exhibitions and art
shows in the cityon the
straight that separates Sicily
and mainland Italy, where he also has his first solo exhibition.
I ts in these years that he encounters other young artists and
intellectuals, (their meeting place is the Nettuno bar) .With Celi in 1961, he exhibits in Messina in the halls of the Istituto
Verona-Trento presented with a brief essay by Vincenzo Palumbo.At the end of 1962 in part to escape the provincial climate, in part
attracted by the big city, he moves to Milan a city that n those years,
even more than today, represented the centre of a cultural world of
great importance.
In
1963, opens his first
studio in Milan in via Palermo at the heart
of the
old Brera quarter.After the exhibition at the Galleria Laurina in Rome in
1966, presented
by Carlo Munari, he prepares and completes his first personal show in Lombardy that is hosted, in
1967, by the Galleria
32; in the catalogue a text by Raffaele De Grada.
In those years Togo keeps the company of young Lombardy painters of his
age among them Lino Marzulli, Umberto Faini, Vitale Petrus; with whom he
exhibits often in collective shows like the one presented at the Palazzo
Gotico di Piacenza in
1971.In
1969 he becomes part of the Gruppo di pittori della Galleria
Diarcon with Marzulli and Faini, directed by
Pasquale Giorgio.He begins his study of engraving, a technique that he will deepen with
improving quality in the following years.
In
1972 Togo is pointed out by Raffaele De Grada in the Bolaffi
painting catalogue and, by the same critic, is presented at his personal
exhibition organized by the Galleria Diarcon.
After leaving his studio in Via Palermo, in
1973
he moves to his present
one in Via Gaetana Agnesi 10. The larger studio and the collaboration
with the young printer from Messina Leopoldo Paratore helps Togo to
further deepen his knowledge of the processes and tecniques of
engraving.
From
1973 to 1980 his exhibiting activities will achieve significant
moments as for example the personal exhibitions at the Gallerie Palmieri of Milan, with, in the catalogue, text by Enzo Fabiani and Busto
Arsizio, presentation by Mario La Cava, and those organized by the
Galleria Diarcon that in
1977 publishes the first monograph with works
starting from 1962; text by Raffaele De Grada.He participates in 1976 in
the Prima Rassegna Nazionale
“Mediterranea 1”, in Messina, invited by Vincenzo Celi.
Again in this city he shows at Arte Centro presented in the catalogueby
Nino Riva.
In
1980 he opens his first graphics exhibition at the Palazzo
Sormani in Milan. It’s the first significant recognition of ten years of
exploration, experimentation and analysis.
The Galleria Annunciata, directed by Sergio Grossetti, in
1981 hosts a personal exhibition; an account by Paolo Volponi in the
catalogue.Again in
1981, together with the painters Mario Bardi, Julio Paz, Benito
Trolese, and the critics Giorgio Seveso and Paola Mortara Bardi, they
establish the “Aleph” space, a centre for art and culture, which
assembles artists and art lovers.
In this self-managed space, Togo exhibits in
1982 a series of
drawings and graphics, commented in the catalogue by Giorgio Seveso.He exhibits with Alvaro at
Grifone Arte in Messina, presented by Lucio Barbera and at the Museo
Remo Brindisi of Lido di Spina
In
1983 he shows again at the Annunciata gallery with twenty
large drypoint engravings; in the catalogue a note by Alberto Cavicchi.
In the summer of the same year he participates with Luigi Veronesi,
Giovanni Cappelli and Julio Paz in the exhibition “Grafica Oggi –
Quattro proposte di ricerca” presented at the Festival Provinciale
dell’Unità di Milano with notes in the catalogue by
Alberto Cavicchi.
In September the same critic presents the show of the “gruppo Aleph” at
the Galleria Massari I of the Palazzo dei Diamanti of Ferrara and at the Teatru Kalambur at
Wroclaw in Poland. In the
1983 Bolaffi catalogue of graphics, Togo is highligh ted by the
critics Giorgio Seveso and Sebastiano Grasso.
1985 Two of his works are printed in “Storia dell’Incisione Moderna” by
Paolo Bellini, published by Minerva Italica; the same critic presents
his show of drawings and incisions at the Aleph space in Milan.

1986
He exhibits at the Galleria Mosaico of Messina, the Bonaparte gallery
of Milan, presented in the catalogue by Luciano Caramel and at the Villa
Comunale of Trezzo sull’Adda with acritical text by Romano Leoni; he
carries out a mural, “Il ritorno dell’emigrante”, at Limina (Messina).
1988 He is invited to the “Theotokos” exhibition at Tindari, curated by
Giovanni Bonanno.In this year he has a graphics show at the Comune di Senigallia.He wins
the first prize for drawing at Nova Milanese.
1989
The volume by Vincenzo Palumbo, “Poesia degli uomini senza miti” is
published by Edizioni D’Anna , that displays, among others, a drawing by
Togo made for the occasion and depicts the 1961 article “Celi e Togo,
felice avvio di due giovani artisti”.In
the same year the Amministrazione Provinciale di Messina organizes at
the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele an anthology exhibition curated by LucioBarbera.60 oil paintings are shown
made from 1962 and 30 engravings; in
the catalogue published by Edizioni Mazzotta are texts by Luciano
Caramel, Lucio Barbera and Paolo Bellini. Sergio Palumbo is the author
of the video “Togo arte per arte”.
He is invited by Nino Falcone of
Edizioni Pungitopo to illustrate “L’almanaccu sicilianu”.
1991 Eight of his engravings, with a text by Lucio Barbera (Togo, il segno
e il sogno), are printed in “Arte fantastica e incisione” published by
Edizioni Giorgio Mondadori, authored by Paolo Bellini; he participates
in “Autoritratto d’artista”, a show curated by Giorgio Seveso from an
idea by Giovanni Billari.
He is invited by Renzo Bertoni to the show “Sicilia mito e realtà” at
the Museo Pepoli of Trapani.
1992
He exhibits once again at the Galleria Bonaparte presented in the
catalogue by Tommaso Trini. The Comune di Messina buys one of his five
meter wide canvasses, “Fata Morgana”.
1993
His oil paintings and incisions are received at the showrooms of the Università Bocconi of Milan (in the catalogue published by Edizioni
Torcular, a text by Tommaso Trini) and the Galleria Quasar at Monticelli
d’Ongina; he participates in the Premio Suzzara.
1994 He is invited by Lucio Barbera, curator of the show “Artisti al Museo”,
for the Rotary Club, at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele of Messina. He is present in the Antologia dell’Incisione Contemporanea “Dodici
artisti dodici mesi” published by Edizioni Il Ponte of Florence.
1995 He displays a series of engravings at the Studio d’Arte Grafica di
Milano with an account in the catalogue by Vincenzo Consolo, at the
Galleria Nuvola Nera at Santa Croce sull’Arno and at the Galleria Radice of Lissone with text by Francesco Poli, at the third Biennale di Grafica
di Castelleone and at the Centro dell’Incisione di Milano “Venti anni
dopo”.
His work, together with that of Tomiolo, Ferroni, Cazzaniga, Della Torre
and Cottini, is part of
the studies for a thesis by Elisa De Gradi in
Brera.
Thesis director Prof. Luce Delhove.
1996
L’Ente Mostra di Pittura “Città di Marsala” puts on a soloshow
presented by Giuseppe Quatriglio.
He is invited to the Biennale dell’incisione Alberto Martini of
Oderzo and to the Premio Biella.
He exhibits in Messina at the Galleria il Sagittario with a text in the
catalogue by Lucio Barbera and in Milan at Galleria Il Torchio; invited
by Renato Valerio he paints the mural “Il ritorno”at Casoli.
1997
The Galleria Meceden of Milazzo presents one of his shows with, in the
catalogue, a text by Mariateresa Prestigiacomo; he exhibits in Patti in
the showrooms of the Ente provincial del Turismo and in Mantova at
Arianna Sartori Arte, he participates in the second Rassegna
dell’Incisione “Bianco e nero” of Modica.
1998
In the months of March and April he holds an engraving course for
the EnteMostra di Pittura Città di Marsala in the magnificent settings of
the Convento del Carmine. He exhibits 50 engravings in Milan at the
Centro dell’Incisione Alzaia Naviglio Grande.
He is present at Palazzo Sarcinelli di Conegliano for the donations of the new museum invited by
Marco Goldin. He participates in April, with 4 works at the “L’Isola dipinta”, show curated by Aldo Gerbino at the Vittoriale, in Rome, and
in September at “la Sicilia è un arcipelago”, curated by Lucio Barbera,
show hosted at the Acquario di Roma then in New York, Palermo and
Messina and at the first Show of contemporary Sicilian painters in
Palermo; he exhibits at the Galleria Brezia of Cosenza.
In April he is awarded the Premio Nazionale di Pittura Santhià. In
October in Palermo he shows 10 engravings together with Attardi and
Gambino at the Galleria Studio 71 (the show is curated by Aldo Gerbino),
in Milan 25 engravings at the Libreria dell’Angolo (the show is curated
by Gianni Pre) and in Messina at the Associazione Motonautica Peloritana
“Il mare e i suoi colori”, show curated by Lucio Barbera; he
participates at “Cyperus Papyrus, Aspetti dell’Incisione italiana”,
curated by Renzo Margonari. In November of the same year he is invited by the Hon. Luigi Cocilovo
and Massimo Palumbo to Brussels in the halls of the European Parliament
with 20 paintings; he participates in the Rassegne d’Incisione “l’Arte e
il Torchio” at Cremona, at the Museo Civico Ala Ponsone, in
1999,
2003
and
2007.
His work as a painter is analysed by Erminia Felletti in her thesis
“Togo, luce, musica e colore” in Brera. Thesis director Prof. Andrea
del Guercio.
2000
In April, in Rome, he is awarded the Premio Antonello da Messina per
le Arti Figurative.
He is elected member of the Consiglio Direttivo of
the Permanente of Milan, position he kept till 2006, and in
2002, by the
same body he is entrusted with the organization of the VIII Triennale
Nazionale dell’Incisione together with Enrico Della Torre and Walter
Valentini. He is invited to the 3rd Premio Casoli, an edition
dedicated to graphics. He makes an original engraving for the
translation by Vincenzo Palumbo of “Soliloquio d’un Fauno” by Mallarmé,
published in a volume, with Mario Luzi’s preface, by Edizioni ETS of
Pisa and presented in Brussels, Milan and Messina.
2001
He is invited to “Il canto del mare”, a review curated by Giovanni
Bonanno at Mazzara del Vallo; he exhibits a series of engravings at the
Galleria Rosaspina of Ascoli Piceno.
2002
He exhibits at the Centro dell’incisione di Milano “Tono, Tano, Togo”
together with Tono Zancanaro and Tano Santoro, presented in the
catalogue by Sergio Spadaro; he participates in “Arte a Milano oggi
nella collezione del Museo della Permanente”, in Urbino at Casa
Raffaello and in Vigevano at Castello Sforzesco; he is present at the
show of the Tondi Zanni at the Permanente.
2003
He is invited by Emilio Sidoti, to the Mostra “Pirandelliana”, 12
painters and sculptors interpret Pirandello the novelist, presented at
the Palazzo della Provincia and at Villa Cambiaso
at Savona,at San Remo, at Imperia. His work appears
in the portfolio “Cento artisti per un museo” at the Galleria La Regina
di Quadri di Modica.The portfolio was exhibited in
2005 at the Centro dell’Incisione di
Milano, at Chieri, Bad Seben (Germany) and Berlin.
From
1999 to
2004 he was tenured professor of engraving at the Accademia
delle Belle Arti “Aldo Galli” in Como.From the same year and until 2005
he had a contract with the publishing group Torcular and Telemarket that
showed, in exclusive, his paintings on television.
2004
He is present at the show curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and Giovanni
Faccenda “Da Picasso a Botero” at the Museo Civico d’Arte Contemporanea
di Arezzo.
He exhibits collectively at the Brambati Arte di Vaprio d’Adda, in the
catalogue a text by Ivan Croce. He publishes, with Est Ticino di Turbigo
(Mi), a folder of six engravings with text by Terenzio Baronchelli and
Pinuccio Castoldi. “Cariddi”, a large canvass with a 4 metre base, is
included in the Collezione della Galleria Provinciale di Arte Moderna e
Contemporanea di Messina the catalogue of which is curated by Caterina
Di Giacomo and Lucio Barbera; he is present at the exhibition of the
Collezione Cappelletti at the Permanente of Milan curated by Flaminio
Gualdoni.
2006
He exhibits with Enrico Della Torre and Ugo Maffi at Brambati Arte:
the exhibition is curated by Ivan Croce; he is invited to the IV
Biennale dell’Incisione Contemporanea “Città di Campobasso”, at Piraino
in the show “La donna e il mare” curated by Giovanni Bonanno, at the
Permanente of Milan in the review “Ventipiùcento”; The catalogue “Togo
opere recenti” is published by Ed izioni Avatara with a critique by
Angela Manganaro and a poem by Guido Oldani.Mario Migneco invites Michele Cannaò and Togo to exhibit at the Circolo
U. Fiore di Briga Marina (ME).
2007 On invitation by Michele Cannaò he exhibits with Alvaro at the Shu
Gallery of Milan in “Dribbling d’Autore”. With Giancarlo Colli, Gioxe De
Micheli, Ugo Sanguineti and Alberto Venditti he publishes, with Est
Ticino, a portfolio of engravings curated by Terenzio Baronchelli, with
a critique by Giorgio Seveso; together with Michele Cannaò and Tano
Santoro, published by Edizioni Avatara, he is present in the e portfolio
of engravings “Per amore” accompanied by the text of Angela Manganaro
and three original poems by Juan Gelman, Franco Loi and Guido Oldani.
He participates in Mantova in the review
“La vite, l’uva e il vino
nell’arte contemporanea” at the Galleria Arianna Sartori.
He presents 30 engravings at the Orientalesicula 7 punto Arte di
Messina. At Ficarra (Me), he is present with four pieces at the review
“Magnificat” organized by Giovanni Bonanno.
He exhibits at Villa Genovesi, S. Alessio (Me), presented in the
catalogue by Giovanna Giordano.
In the months of November and December he presents, with Alvaro,
“Conversazioni” recent works, at the Permanente of Milan. The critiques
in the catalogue are by Lucio Barbera and Angela Manganaro.
He is invited to the IX Biennale di Grafica “Città di Castelleone”.
2008 His work as engraver is published by Centro Studi Sartori per la
grafica in the volume “Incisori moderni e contemporanei” by Adalberto
and Arianna Sartori.He exhibits at the Pinacoteca “Tono Zancanaro” of Capo d’Orlando.He is invited to the X Edizione di carte d’Arte all’Angelo, Lodi.
He is present in the “Dizionario della Stampa d’Arte” by Paolo Bellini,
published by Edizioni Edi.Artes Milano.
2009
He participates in the Via Crucis at “Il chiodo fisso” by Guido Oldani,
curated by Michele Cannaò (itinerant exhibition): Permanente di Milano
and Castello Mediceo di Melegnano.
During the “VI Convegno di Primavera” dell’Ordine dei Medici, at the
Teatro Vittorio Emanuele of Messina, he receives a plaque in recognition
of his work as an artist.
As part of a project by the Provincia Regionale di Messina he is invited
to exhibit, in a personal show, paintings and engravings at Taormina in
the showrooms of the “Fondazione Mazzullo”, in the Palazzo dei Duchi di
S. Stefano. In the catalogue a presentation by Lucio Barbera.He is invited to the Biennale di Lodi.
He exhibits with Michele Cannaò, Tano Santoro and Alberto Venditti, a
series of engravings at the Biblioteca Comunale Cassina Anna in Milan
and at the Fondazione Granata-Braghieri in Imbersago (Lecco)Both
exhibitions are curated by Angela Manganaro in a project by Giulio
Crisanti.
He is invited, with five works, to Gravedona’s painting and sculpture
exhibition “Astratta/Informale” .
He participates in Vittorio Ferri’s project “Domino” with Sonja
Aeschlimann, Alvaro, Michele Cannaò, Ignazio Moncada, Sara Montani,
Augusto Sciacca, Susan Post and Alberto Venditti.
He exhibits, in a collective show, seven paintings in the halls of the
Museo Leone da Perego in Legnano, invited by the Est Ticino cooperative
for the show “Impresa, sogni ed arte oltre trent’anni”.
He is present with his engraving work at the halls of the Raccolta
Bertarelli, at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, for the 20thanniversary
of the magazine Grafica d’Arte.
He participates with one of his pieces at the Museo del Fango, in
Taormina, at the Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano, in the show that
with paintings, poetry, music and videos is in solidarity with the towns
around Messina that were destroyed by the recent floods.
He is present, with a series of his works, at the Mostra dell’Incisione
Italiana Contemporanea at the Museo Civico Ala Ponzone of Cremona, works
that will later be part of the donation to the Slesian Museum of
Katowice (PL).
2010 In the month of June he exhibits in Milan at the Galleria San Carlo
presented in the catalogue by Francesco Poli; in October he is invited
to the review organized by Giovanni Bonanno, at the Albergo delle Povere
at Palermo,
“Il sacro in arte”.In November he exhibits at the Galleria Cappelletti with Alvaro, Michele
Cannaò, Giovanni Mattio and Sara Montani.
He creates for BASF work that is reproduced on an augural card.
He receives the targa Regina Adelasia per le Arti Figurative at Patti on
December 18th.
2011 The Università di Messina order’s, an anthology show curated by Teresa
Pugliatti and
Luigi Ferlazzo Natoli, mounted by Marco Dentici.
He is
invited to the review “Grafica Oggi”, curated by Floriano De Santi and
Chiara Gatti, at the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino.
He paints, for the Comune di Messina, the poster for “Vara”. He holds a
course on engraving at the Circolo Umberto Fiore di Briga Marina with
the patronage of the Comune di Messina.
He is invited by Vittorio Sgarbi and Giorgio Grasso to the 54° Biennale
di Venezia at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Sala Nervi, in Turin.
2012 In April he exhibits some works at the Galleria San Carlo at the
presentation of “Domino 01”. In June he is in Palermo with a solo show
at Studio 71 presented by Vinny Scorsone. In the same month he returns
to Marsala for a course in engraving organized by Maurizio Mannone,
President of the Kiwanis Club of Marsala, with the patronage of the
Comune and the Ente Mostra di Pittura Contemporanea.
Edizioni del Gabbiano publishes, with Fondazione Bonino Pulejo, a volume
of tales by Franco Arcovito on the Aeolian islands, “Le 7 sorelle”, with
14 reproductions of Togo’s paintings created for the occasion.
The Comune di Sant’Agata di Militello (ME) in August organizes a solo
show in the halls of Castel Gallego, with a presentation in catalogue by
Angela Manganaro. He is invited by Giuseppe Filistad and Giuseppe
Morgana to the review “Dialoghi Contemporanei” at Gualteri Sicaminò
(ME).
2013-2015
In January he exhibits at the “Orientale Sicula” of Messina.
In February of 2014 a large work of his “Veloce come un treno”, donated
to the Ferrovie dello Stato, is hung permanently at the Messina Station.In August he exhibits a series of works painted together (a quattro mani)
with Michele Cannaò at the GADAM of San Marco d’Alunzio (ME).
Saverio Pugliatti presents his work at “Furnari Arte” at the Palazzo Marziani.
He is invited by Vittorio Sgarbi and Giovanni Lettini to the review
“Artisti Siciliani” at Favignana, Palermo and Catania.In Dicember of the same year the Amministrazione Provinciale della Città
di Messina organizes an exhibition of his in the halls of the
prestigious “Monte di Pietà” building. In the catalogue an account by
Vincenzo Bonaventura.
2016
The Rotary Club Soncino organizes, in the ex Filanda Meroni (CR), a
solo show; in the catalogue a text by Vincenzo Zuccaro.
Container Lab Association invites him to the exhibition at the EXPO
Milano and to Palazzo Martinengo of Brescia for “Leonardo da Vinci e i
Contemporanei”. He is invited by Valerio Lombardo and Luca Bonfanti,
presented in the catalogue by Stefano Brenna.He participates in the Premio Internazionale “Scogliera Viva” at Caorle.
He exhibits 20 works at the Castello di Montesegale, invited by Michele
Cannaò. For Antonietta Filangeri he paints the mural with the title “Le
barche bianche di Castel di Tusa”. In the same period he makes a gift of
one of his works “Tre paloggi sullo Jonio” to the Museo Etnografico di
Gesso (Me).
He is invited by Filippo Scimeca to the review of Milanese painters at
the Museo Gibellina.
Patrizia Danzè presents at the Galleria Cavour the art book “7 giorni a
Siracusa” that reproduces 7 works by Togo inspired by 7 tales by Franco
Arcovito.
2017
He exhibits at the Centre Culturelle Andrè-Malraux of Agen, in a
collective, invited by Nadia Tognazzo.
In May he is once again at the San Carlo of Milan with a
series of paintings on paper, presented in the catalogue by Elena
Pontiggia, and in June he is at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele of Messina;
in the catalogue an account by Patrizia Danzè. She presents "Affinità
Elettive" at the Monte di Pietà with Alvaro, Nino Cannistraci, Mantilla,
Nino Rigano, Bruno Samperi, Alfredo Santoro, Piero Serboli and Togo.
2018 He is invited
to do a solo show at the Museo del Ghisallo del Ciclismo di Magreglio
(Co). He is invited by Rosella Ghezzi and Chiara Vanzetto to Hors
d'oeuvre, Artisti della Permanente di Milano al castello di Vigevano.
He is present at
all the Repertori degli Incisori Italiani of the Comune di Bagnacavallo.
He appears in the
anthology of works on paper "Di segno in segno" by Edizioni Sartori di
Mantova in 2003 and
2014. Since 15 years the Cataloghi delle Incisioni
Originali Prandi of Reggio Emilia have shown his work.
He is part of the
Associazione Culturale Livia e Virgilio Montani of Milano.
His works are in
the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, the Museo Brindisi in Lido di Spina, the
Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea Lucio Barbera of Messina, the Palazzo
Sarcinelli at Conegliano Veneto, the Museo della Permanente in Milan,
the Museo del Fango in Messina, the Raccolta Bertarelli at the Castello
Sforzesco of Milan, the Slesian Museum in Katowice (Pl), the Museo
Etnografico di Gesso (Me), the Museo di Gibellina (Tp), the Museo
Cassata di Barcellona P.G. (Me), the Museo degli Artisti del '900 at
Troina (En), the Museo del Ciclismo, Madonna del Ghisallo, Magreglio,
(Co).
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