30/11/2015
To celebrate its fortieth anniversary Arte Fiera presents “Arte Fiera 40”, an exhibition project, curated by Giorgio Verzotti and Claudio Spadoni, that traces the past 40 years of the event and offers a vision of the coming 40 by narrating the story of the Fiera since its foundation. The exhibition develops across two locations, beginning from the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna (28/01-28/03) with a selection of the most important works from the event’s leading protagonists, the Galleries, the result of a detailed consultation of archive documents to identify the most frequent participants, the most exhibited artists and those that have experienced the greatest success, and proposing a cross-section of art as seen by the market. The exhibition concludes in the spaces of the Permanent Collection of MAMbo – the Museum of Modern Art Bologna (28/01-29/01), where a selection of works acquired by BolognaFiere will be exhibited: works by undisputed masters from the Seventies up to artists that began their work during the Nineties. Presented alongside these will be some exponents of the new generation in order to underline the importance that Arte Fiera has dedicated to unearthing younger talent.
“ARTE FIERA 40” With the celebratory exhibition that will take place in the prestigious locations of the Bologna Pinacoteca and at MAMbo, Museum of Modern Art of Bologna, from the 28th January to the 28th March, Arte Fiera is preparing a unique edition.
2016 will be the 40th anniversary of Italy’s most important art fair, the largest exhibition in the world of modern and contemporary Italian art. To celebrate the anniversary a unique exhibition has been created that will exhibit masterpieces from the real protagonists of the Fiera: the Galleries. At a time when Italian art is dominating the international markets, the exhibition offers a review of the history of art in our country as seen through the eyes of the gallerists and art dealers.
The exhibition in the Pinacoteca celebrates 40 years of Arte Fiera with a review summarizing the main exponents of four decades of artistic production in our country as documented by the editions of Arte Fiera.
It should not be forgotten that all of Italian Art from the twentieth century until today, including the very best work, has passed through Bologna; the visiting public at Arte Fiera has been able to experience year on year the new tendencies, their impact, the recognition that they have earned in Italy and beyond and the development of those who have gone on to become recognised as the protagonists of various seasons of creativity.
This exhibition will be the result of a thorough consultation of Arte Fiera’s archives carried out in order to identify the most regular participants, the most frequently exhibited artists and those most successful in terms of sales. The intention is to offer a cross section of Italian art as seen by the market, in light of the fact that economic success is one of the parameters that determines the importance of a work of art and the role of an artist.
“We set ourselves the task of staying true to the objectives of the event,” say the artistic directors of Arte Fiera, Giorgio Verzotti and Claudio Spadoni, “ bringing together our roles as curators with the experience linked to the organization of the Fiera, and as critics and curators of museums”.
The historical period in question passes from the years of Morandi up to the 2000s: a review of great masters, founders of new movements and lone pioneers pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. “A note of caution: speaking of current artists it is obviously more difficult to speak of great masters, rather, artists of recognised quality that we can imagine will become protagonists of the near future and in light of this, they are on display at the exhibition”.
Precisely in order to offer a glance towards the future, all of the galleries involved in this edition of Arte Fiera have been invited to include works by artists under 40 years of age. A committee made up of curators and directors of international museums and institutions will select the best of these, whose works will then be taken to the Pinacoteca to be exhibited alongside that of the great masters. The committee will be composed of Francesco Bonami (curator), Luca Lo Pinto (curator, Kunsthalle, Vienna), Laura Carlini Fanfogna (director, Istituzione Bologna Museums), Giacinto Di Pietrantonio (director, GAMEC, Bergamo), Hou Hanru (director, MAXXI, Roma), Andrea Bellini (Director, Centre for Contemporary Art, Geneva), Alberto Salvadori (director, Marino Marini Museum).
The works and the legacy of Arte Fiera on display in the exhibition will be assembled in a prestigious book published by Corraini, which, with the help of some distinguished contributors, will narrate the evolution of Italian contemporary art, collectors and galleries and the artists that have made history at Arte Fiera
The section that will be presented at MAMbo – the Museum of Modern Art Bologna, will offer, for the very first time, a selection of works acquired by BolognaFiere during the many editions of the event. Together with some of the undisputed masters of the Seventies will be works of artists from the Nineties who are now acknowledged also outside Italy. Furthermore, there will be work by the new generations on display in order to underline the importance that Arte Fiera has always dedicated to the promotion of research and experimentation by younger artists. “Arte Fiera 40” is a highly evocative project that traces the last 40 years of the event, while also offering a vision of what the coming 40 years might have in store.