Luigi Ontani (b. 1943 Italy) has purposely distanced himself from every ideological movement since he began making artwork in the 1960's. This artist is constantly transforming himself, playing with his masculine and feminine side, while interpreting historical figures with his body. He has experimented in many media: photography, assemblages, ceramic, plaster, drawing, painting, glass, language, video, performance art and craft practices from Europe and the Orient. His work is full of humor, double meaning and word play. Each is a complex and nuanced journey through personal myths that are universal and iconic.

Luigi Ontani has shown extensively in Italy, Europe and the Far East. His work has been shown at the 1995 Venice Biennale; the Pompidou Center, Paris; MAMBO, Bologna; SMAK, Ghent; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt; the 1986 Sydney Biennale; and the 1991 New Delhi Triennale. In 2001, PS1 Contemporary Art Center in New York held a comprehensive retrospective of his work. Luigi Ontini travels widely in India and Africa. He currently lives in Rome and Riola di Vergato, Italy.

Luigi Ontani had visited the museum twice before he came as an Artist-in-Residence in the beginning of 2007. During this time, Ontani spent many hours wandering and looking at works in the galleries. In February he installed several of his own pieces in the Special Exhibition gallery for Sculpture and Memory. This exhibition included religious Medieval sculpture, which Isabella Stewart Gardner collected extensively. It focused on Christian iconography across centuries and Ontani's twentieth century contributions that included an early photograph of Ecce Uomo d'après Guido Reni, several smaller tableaux vivants, and two recent sculptures interpreting Saint Sebastian and John the Baptist. During the exhibition, the artist spoke with curator Pieranna Cavalchini about his work and travels.