Number Zero: the history of Arte Fiera

Arte Fiera, inaugurated in 1974, was Italy’s first contemporary art fair and one of the first in Europe, preceded only by those in Basel and Cologne. Its creation formed part Bologna’s stimulating artistic scene in the ‘70s, which witnessed, among many others, the opening of the new location of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (1974) and the International Performance Weeks (1977-82), the most famous of which, in 1977, was supported by the Fair.

The first edition of Arte Fiera had only ten galleries, mostly from Bologna; the second, in 1975, jumped to two hundred exhibitors. Arte Fiera quickly established itself as a leading European art fair, attracting prominent American galleries such as Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend, and became a reference point for the market as well as a cultural event.