Rigolo has been at the GRI since 2013, when he was hired as the subject expert on a team of researchers processing the massive archive of famed curator Harald Szeemann. He is part of the curatorial team for the exhibition Harald Szeemann: Museum of Obsessions, which opened at the GRI in February 2018 and has traveled internationally.
“Pietro Rigolo brings a wonderful breadth of knowledge, not only about the history of art in the 20th and 21st centuries, but also about the history of curating and the rich intellectual histories that so often surround major artistic movements,” said Glenn Phillips, curator and head of modern and contemporary collections at the Getty Research Institute. “He has a finely-tuned sense of what makes an exceptional archive, and he will be a significant addition to our curatorial team at the Getty Research Institute.”
In addition to his work on the Szeemann archive at the GRI, Rigolo has cataloged the archives of Barbara T. Smith, Maurice Tuchman, Juan Fassio, and of the Margo Leavin Gallery. He has published numerous papers and catalog essays for the Istanbul Biennale, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Pirelli HangarBicocca, Castello di Rivoli among others, and has participated in panel and lectures in the United States, in Europe, and in the Middle East.
“I am excited to keep on serving such an esteemed and influential institution in this new role. The years I have been working at the GRI in Special Collections and on the Szeemann project have been a tremendous opportunity for learning and reflecting on the many challenges and responsibilities we are confronted with as safe keepers, as well as producers of culture,” said Rigolo. “I am looking forward to joining my colleagues in implementing and diversifying our collections, envisaging new ways to present such relevant holdings, produce new knowledge, and engage our global public of researchers, students, and local communities throughout Southern California.”
Rigolo earned a Doctorate in Art History from Università degli Studi di Siena / Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane. He earned his Master’s at Istituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice, Italy.