He studied technical and mechanical drawing, and exhibited his first works at the "Premio Nazionale Città di Vimercate" (hors concours) in 1948, when he was just 13 years old.

He was Bonalumi's sole agent for many years and, in 1973, supervised the publication of a lengthy monograph on the artist by Edizioni del Naviglio, written by Gillo Dorfles.

During this period, Bonalumi embarked on his own particular course of painting and environmental sculpture, which unfolded over the decades in some fundamental stages: in 1967, Blu abitabile (Inhabitable Blue) created for "Lo spazio dell’immagine" exhibition in Foligno (and exhibited again in 1970 in the "Vitalità del negativo" show in Rome); in 1968, Grande Nero (Big Black) at the Museum am Ostwall in Dortmund; in 1979, as part of the "Pittura Ambiente" exhibition curated by Francesca Alinovi and Renato Barilli in the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Dal giallo al bianco e dal bianco al giallo (From Yellow to White and from White to Yellow).

In 1980, the Regione Lombardia sponsored an exhibition in the Palazzo Te, Mantua, curated by Flavio Caroli and Gillo Dorfles: an extensive review that illustrated his entire artistic career.

In 1999 he was once again invited to the Rome Quadriennale and, in 2000, a solo exhibition of his opened in the Galleria Niccoli in Parma, which was accompanied by an important monograph by Luca Massimo Barbero.

In 2001 he took part in the "Materia/Niente" group show at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice and, in the same year, the Accademia di San Luca presented him with the Premio Presidente della Repubblica 2001 for sculpture.

He published scherzo, io (twelve poems, Colophon, Belluno, 2000), Da te ascolto tornare le cose (with a comment by Concetto Pozzati, Book Editore, Castel Maggiore [Bologna], 2001), and Difficile cogliersi (Edizioni Il Bulino, Rome 2002).

All the Shapes of Space 1958–1976", curated by Francesca Pola, who also wrote and edited the monograph published on this occasion, and realized a video documentary including Bonalumi's last interview on his work.