With a pioneer experience of technological art, Gilardi, in the 60s, was one of the protagonists of New Realism and European Pop Art. In 1963 he had his first solo exhibition, 'Machines for the Future'. Two years later, he conceived his first works in polyurethane foam for Gufram and began exhibiting in numerous cultural centres around the world including Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Hamburg, Amsterdam and New York.

Since 1968, he has adhered to new artistic trends of the time: Arte Povera, Land Art, Antiform Art, and collaborated in several international festivals. With the advent of the eighties, Gilardi continued his activities in the art world. In 1985 he began artistic research with the use of new technologies for the realisation of the project 'Ixian'.

Along with Claude Faure and Piotr Kowalski, he formed the International Association 'Ars Technica' of which he is the head of the Italian section.

Since 2002 he has been engaged in the project for the construction of the Living Art Park (PAV) in the city of Turin, of which he was president. His works are exhibited in major museums of modern art around the world. He has published two books: "From Art to Life, From Life to Art" and "Not for Sale."