pinot-gallizio drew from his background as a chemist in developing new painting techniques. in 1956 he, along with jorn, organized the first world congress of free artists, at which a representative from the lettrist international spoke, foreshadowing the foundation of the situationist international in 1957 by members of both groups, including pinot-gallizio. at this conference the italian artists withdrew from the laboratory, and after the formation of the si only pinot-gallizio and his son, giors melanotte, remained. he helped to make the si known in the art world with an exhibition in paris in 1959.