What's new in ARTE FIERA 2018

What's new in ARTE FIERA 2018
photo

What's new in ARTE FIERA 2018

31/01/2018

Photo: Hana Lee Erdman, Companionship and Telepathic Elegance (from POLIS / SPECIAL PROJECTS: PERFORMING THE GALLERY)

Arte Fiera, Italy’s oldest Modern and Contemporary Art Show has been the focal point of the country’s art market for some 42 years. This latest edition will be held from 2 – 5 February with a preview on 1 February.

152 major galleries – a restricted number in the interests of quality - have been selected to turn BolognaFiere’s Halls 25 and 26 into a huge platform of art and an opportunity to debate modern and contemporary artistic expression. In addition, some 30 operators from the publishing, graphic art and creativity sectors bring the total number of exhibitors to 182.

WHAT’S NEW

Arte Fiera 2018 builds on last year’s achievements by adding important new features. On 2 and 3 February, an international meeting designed by Angela Vettese with Clarissa Ricci entitled “Between Exhibition and Fair: entre chien et loup”, organized with Venice’s IUAV University and under the aegis of Bologna University, will consider the increasing hybridization between exhibitions and trade shows, a hot topic but one that remains still largely unexplored, perhaps on account of the continued resistance of historians, critics, and theorists to relate art and the market. Developed by Clarissa Ricci, Cristina Baldacci and Camilla Salvaneschi, the meeting will be attended by academics, artists, critics, curators, editors and other art-system operators. Speakers include names like Terry Smith, Bruce Altshuler and John Rajchman.

The Main Section includes the new Modernity sub-section providing an in-depth look into new areas. The term ‘Modernity’ is intended in its original etymological sense as a Latin word signifying ‘means’ rather than our current concept of ‘modernity’ as modern art, i.e. early 20th century art. 11 booths will have small personal shows of artists deserving greater attention. The underlying idea of Modernity is to lead visitors through a line-up of artists who, although from different periods, countries and artistic movements, have created particularly relevant work, which courageous gallerists were prescient enough to recognize and show.

The galleries selected and artists exhibited:

Galleria Alessandra Bonomo • Joan Jonas (USA 1936)
Galleria Maurizio Corraini • Giosetta Fioroni (Italy 1932)
Galleria De’ Foscherari • Gianni Piacentino (Italy 1945)
Galleria Umberto di Marino • Eugenio Espinoza (Venezuela 1950)
Galleria Six • Terry Atkinson (United Kingdom, 1939)
Guastalla Centro Arte • Marino Marini (Italy 1901-1980)
Galleria Guidi & Schoen • Olivo Barbieri (Italy 1954)
Galleria Michela Rizzo • Martino Genchi (Italy 1982)
Nuova Galleria Morone • Maria Lai (Italy 1919-2013)
Prometeogallery • Regina José Galindo (Guatemala, 1974)
Studio Guastalla • Emilio Isgrò (Italy 1937)

Once again the POLIS section reinforces the show’s ties with the city through a series of new initiatives.

POLIS / ARTWORKS – a series of installations in splendid, often little-known venues around the city. Curated by Angela Vettese, coordinated by Nicolas Ballario, with the collaboration of some of the galleries exhibiting at Arte Fiera.

On show during the trade show days will be:

Vito Acconci (USA, 1940-2017) • Osart, Milan
Orto Botanico ed Erbario di Bologna

Andreco (Italy, 1978) • Traffic, Bergamo
Palazzo Poggi

Valerio Berruti (Italy 1977) • Marcorossi, Milan, Pietrasanta (LU), Verona
Palazzo D’Accursio

Alik Cavaliere (Italy 1926-98) • Niccoli, Parma
Orto Botanico ed Erbario di Bologna

Mario Cresci (Italy 1942) • MLB Maria Livia Brunelli, Ferrara
Palazzo D’Accursio

Giuseppe De Mattia (Italy 1980) • Matèria, Rome
Spazio Carbonesi

Sanna Kannisto (Finland 1974) • Metronom, Modena
Spazio Carbonesi

Luigi Mainolfi (Italy 1948) • Paola Verrengia, Salerno
Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna

Rachele Maistrello (Italy 1986) • Metronom, Modena
Spazio Carbonesi

Dennis Oppenheim (USA, 1938-2011) • Montrasio Arte / KM Ø, Milan, Monza (MB)
Museo di Palazzo Poggi

Luigi Veronesi (Italy 1908-1998) • 10 A.M. ART, Milan
Museo di Palazzo Poggi

POLIS / CINEMA - La comunità che viene is the title of the film selection - curated by Mark Nash and staged both in the fair grounds and at Bologna’s MAMbo – that looks at the communist and post-communist legacy of both Bologna and Italy as a whole. Like last year’s exhibition curated by Nash at the Archaeological Museum, Pierpaolo Pasolini is again the trait d’union of a show that investigates a series of key images from the past and which still resonate today, giving rise to many unanswered questions and stirring unsolved issues.

POLIS / SPECIAL PROJECTS: PERFORMING THE GALLERY - curated by Chiara Vecchiarelli - explores the potential of performance art in our contemporary cultural, political and economic context. The project was developed together with Galerie, an intangible gallery dealing exclusively with intangible artworks. Galerie will also be in the fair grounds with a performative version of the booth My Body is My Booth, in which gallerists will ‘perform’ the works on show.

Running in parallel and facilitated by the artists with work on show will be a series of workshops open to the public entitled The Intensive Curses. The aim: to demonstrate the close link between the production of knowledge and value. The Intensive Curses programme will be held both at the fair and at the Collegio Artistico Venturoli, where it is organized in collaboration with Art City. Like the gallery, the workshops themselves become a vehicle of artistic expression.

POLIS / BBQ - coordinated by Mia D. Suppiej - is a project that links the work of the Artist Run Spaces with the No Profit spaces that have sprung up in Bologna in recent years, providing insights into Bologna’s independent contemporary art scene with a programme of exhibitions, performances and openings.

The innovative PRINTVILLE section, located at the entrance to the trade show, is dedicated to industrially manufactured artefacts and prints. Curated by Amedeo Martegani of a+mbookstore, Printville has also extended its reach this year.

There are new features on the digital front as well, with Arte Fiera this year launching its first iOS and Android App to provide the general Italian and international public with a truly broad overview of the events at the fair and in town. There’s also a contest open to App users for the best photo taken during the trade show. More information available on www.artefiera.it

Finally, some major acquisitions will be made. The Carisbo Foundation has allocated up to 50,000 Euros to the ‘Arte Fiera Fund’ for the purchase of one or more works to become part of the Art and History Collections of the Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna Foundation. In addition, the MAST Foundation will be choosing photographic works dealing with work and industry to add to its collection.