1938 - Claude Gilli is born in Nice on September 15 in a Niçoise family whose traces are found in the archives of the city in the fifteenth century.
1955 - He entered the School of Decorative Arts in Nice and find himself alongside Danièle Giraudy, conservative future of the Picasso Museum in Antibes and France. Raysse that will allow him to get to know Martial. There will also meet Nicole Rondoni who would become his wife.
1957 - Meeting with Albert and Chubac first exhibition, with Albert Chubac and Raysse at Galerie de Longchamp.
1958 - Still with Albert Chubac and Raysse, Gilli Claude inaugurated at an exhibition the "Laboratoire 32", Ben's shop at 32 rue Tonduti of Escarene, near the School of Decorative Arts.
1959 - His friendship with Raysse leads to Paris to discover the city and the art world with the visit of the Rothko exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts.
1960 - Marries Nicole Rondoni who decides to devote his life to promoting the work of Claude.
1961 - First woodwork painted and cut birth of "Ex-Votos" marking at Claude's commitment to the adventure of creation.
1962 - It's the night of New Year's Eve Claude practically burns everything he has done to date to mark its commitment to artistic adventure.
1963 - His life as an artist, his moments with Arman, Ben and Raysse allow him to participate in his first Parisian exhibition, Gallery Henriette Legendre. He did it knowing Malaval who is his neighbor in Nice.
1963-1964 - This is a period of exchange, sharing and research to Claude who embarks on series of landscapes carved wood, with the blessing of Arman who offers him an electric hand saw. It was also at this time that he frantically engaged in the use of the color blue that is found throughout his work.
He participated in several exhibitions in Nice with Albert Chubac, Malaval and Bernar Venet, first meeting with Jacques Matarasso which will become one of its merchants Nice.
1965 - With Malaval, he directed the "Gallery of the beach," a work in common included a trompe l'oeil of a gallery showcase, painted wood cutting invaded by the "Food white." It is also experimenting with his first carved wood flows.
The news of the Gaumont who made a film on the city of Nice, Claude Gilli is presented alongside Arman, Ben, Raysse, Jean-Claude Farhi and Bernar Venet.
1966 - are emerging in the carvings Claude lettering borrowed from the world of teaching he discovers its suppliers, druggists. A parallel with the work of artists of "Pop Art" which he meets the following years, in Venice at Del Leone.
He participates and removes Lefranc Price with streams of paints and is presented in Paris for his first solo exhibition at Yvon Lambert.
1967 - It is with the same cast that participated in the exhibition "12 Great Realists" in Venice at Del Leone, he will discover the work of "Pop" American, Lichtenstein, Warhol and Wesselmann.
1968 - First break in the work of Claude and discovery of his curiosity, he engages in a colorless work, breaking with his first period of colored wood, it is the transparent plexiglass.
1969 - 1971 - Moving forward, Claude experiences working with snails which he said he first met on the Saleya market in Nice. Moving forward, Claude experiences working with snails which he said he first met on the Saleya market in Nice. He then engages in the production of watercolors by the necessity of the means imposed by gastropods.
It is also a period of participation in international exhibitions and its installation in 1970 in Paris. He then takes a studio in the Latin Quarter.
So he already knows for nearly 10 years he was hit by a progressive disease, it is in this period that Claude finds the development of it, which will lead in the future to have to agree to a wheelchair.
1972 - First Paris exhibition of his experiments with snails, Claude occupies the small screen during an evening with Philippe Bouvard and it carries a happening.
1973 - 1976 - With its different experiments developed (ex-votos, Scenics, Cut, Castings, Transparencies and snails), the work of Claude itself as an artistic work in progress.
The interest of the Niçoises galleries and Parisians of that time, not only reinforces this idea but the reality of this situation.
1977 - This will be especially the exposure of the Centre Georges Pompidou "The School of Nice" by the presence of some works, evidence that Claude is history in motion, while his illness away from the art scene ...
1978 - 1980 It is a period a little difficult for Claude who no longer moves in a wheelchair, with all the constraints that this imposes. But with the support and encouragement of Nicole, it continues all costs to develop its work.
1981 - First retrospective at the Museum Nice, Ponchettes Gallery. It reveals for the first time all of his work which is fixed in the exhibition catalog.
1982 - From the pen of Pierre Restany, publication of the first book about his work.
1983 - 1984 - Despite travel difficulties, Claude begins the presentation of his work in an educational setting in the province, in the northern region and in Normandy. It responds to a particular command of the realization of a tombstone, work became uncommon in Contemporary Art artists.
1985 - Back on the Paris art scene at a major exhibition organized with the support of Pierre Restany. It also carries a steel monumental sculpture for the Congress Centre of the city of Nice.
This event, and the meeting with Michel Roudillon lead him to engage in a new way, that of the realization of steel sculptures.
1986 - 1989 - During this period, Claude leaves the work of the cut wood to engage in control of welded steel cut. - During this period, Claude leaves the work of the cut wood to engage in control of welded steel cut. Opens to him other opportunities with the ability to invade the outside world by making monumental sculptures.
1990 - From the pen of Jacques Dopagne this time, he published a second book in 1990 about his work. It also presents for the first time all of his steel sculptures at the Centre of Contemporary Art in the city of Rouen.
1991 - 1998 - During this long period, Claude participates and presents his recent works painted steel in solo and group exhibitions both in Paris and in the provinces. His monumental sculptures make the tour of France. It also prepares the project offered to him by the city of Nice to organize a major retrospective at the New Museum of Modern Art. 1999 - Second retrospective work of Claude Gilli in Nice made this time at the New Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Publication of a superb catalog presenting all of his updated work.
2000 - 2003 - This is the meeting with Hervé Loevenbruck Gallery in Paris. She will present her work at an exhibition and organizing events in the province including a beautiful exhibition at the Villa Tamaris. Claude also presents his work abroad in Belgium and Italy, and the Marlborough Gallery in Monaco.
Without a doubt the largest and most beautiful exhibition organized on the work of Claude Gilli, the Museum of Fine Arts in Bordeaux and led by Olivier Le Bihan. Three exhibition levels, the most important meeting of works by Claude Gilli ever conducted, an explosion of colors and materials.
2004 - Exhibition at the Galerie du Centre
2006 - Exhibition at the Loft Gallery in Barcelona
Exhibition at the Galerie Guy Pieters in Knokke Le Zoute
2007 - James Mayor Gallery
2011 - Fernand Léger Museum in Biot
He died in 2015.
