Arte Fiera 2015 confirms the vitality of italian art

JANUARY 22 OPENING WITH PISTOLETTO - RAI CHIEF, GUBITOSI - AND FRANCESCHINI, MINISTER FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE AT ARTE FIERA, SUPPORTER OF ART WITH COLLECTORS AND ART GALLERIES

Arte Fiera, the first and oldest modern and contemporary art tradeshow, opens its doors from January 23 through 25, 2015 in Bologna. Attending will be 216 exhibitors, of which 188 art galleries showing more than 2000 works by 1000 artists who include the greats as well as promising young newcomers.

Under the artistic direction of Giorgio Verzotti and Claudio Spadoni, Arte Fiera 2015 is officially partnered by the Italian Association of Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries. This edition of the tradeshow puts the spotlight on 20th-century maestros, well-known contemporary artists and up-and-coming names, and also affords a central place to Art Collecting.

As is the case every year, Arte Fiera is held in the last week of January, this year from Friday, January 23 to Monday, 26.

The private viewing reserved for sector operators will be held, as usual, on Thursday, 22 when the inauguration will take the form of a talk show with artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, representing the generation of artists enjoying record sales in recent months, tradeshow organizer BolognaFiere’s Chairman, Duccio Campagnoli, and Luigi Gubitosi, Director General of Italy's national broadcaster, RAI, and Arte Fiera’s media partner. This inaugural meeting of the 39th edition of Arte Fiera puts the accent on defending contemporary Italian art, its artists, and the galleries and all collectors - whether public or private - committed to the art produced in this country.

The tradeshow occupies Halls 25 and 26 and is organized in 5 sections, plus a special Curators’ Space.

The Main Section is the pivotal area, grouping the main modern and contemporary art galleries, and presenting a complete overview of artistic production in and outside of Italy.

Designed to celebrate ‘made-in-Italy’ artists and highlight artistic values - much appreciated by collectors and currently enjoying a surprising comeback, as shown by the interest shown by major international museums and the attention received at the latest London “Italian Sales” and New York auctions. Many galleries are presenting works by artists sought after at auctions or the focus of international exhibitions, such as Balla, Boccioni, De Chirico, Morandi, Capogrossi, Fontana, Burri, Manzoni, Castellani, Pistoletto, Boetti, Calzolari and Penone. Also on show also will be names  like  Bonalumi,  Gianni  Colombo,  Dadamaino,  Varisco  and  Alviani  as  well  as  abstract painters of the 1970s, like Olivieri.

The new feature of this year's edition in the Main Section is a special Curators’ Space entitled “Leading Players” and dedicated to art galleries that have made a major contribution to furthering appreciation of contemporary art (whether Italian or not). This year the galleries will be Alfonso Artiaco from Naples, De’Foscherari of Bologna, Emilio Mazzoli from Modena, and Massimo Minini from Brescia. They will also be presenting an overview of their gallery’s history.

Initiated in 2014, the Photography Section will again be staged this year with 24 galleries. Organised in partnership with MIA Fair and curated by Fabio Castelli, the section confirms the sharp rise in interest for photography as a contemporary art language. “The photography section at Arte Fiera” – underlines Castelli – “is a clear indication that the language of photographic imagery stands on a par with other means of contemporary art expression”.

Solo Show is the section dedicated to galleries showing just one artist. There will be 14 monographic shows of famous names and young artists. This year many galleries will look at various aspects of abstract art, even if its opposite, figurative art, will still be present. Acclaimed artists like Mark Tobey, members of the Gutai Group, proponents of so-called Analytic Painting, or artists belonging to the “middle generation”, from figures like Luca Vitone and Maria Morganti through to its youngest members, will be on show next door to artists like Leonardo Cremonini.

The New Proposals Section hosts galleries showing artists under 35. This section testifies to the fundamental role of research, discovery and promotion of new talents and new expressive languages. This year the age limit concerns only the artists. As to the galleries, alongside AplusB, Nam Project, Car drde, Rizzuto, Ghetta Doris, Thomas Brambilla, and MassimoDeLuca, there will be historic names like Annarumma, and Di Marino from Naples, and Mazzoli of Berlin.

Focus East testifies to the broader international approach adopted by the Artistic Directors with a view to linking in with emerging markets in a globalised world. Following the success of the previous edition, Eastern European galleries will be returning, this time also embracing the Middle East. Italian art galleries dealing in artists from this geopolitical area will also be attending.

The Exhibition: Too Early, Too Late. Middle East and Modernity (Troppo presto, troppo tardi. Il Medio Oriente e la Modernità)
January 22 – April 12, 2015 – Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna (Bologna's National Art Gallery)

Thematically linked to Focus East, the Exhibition Too Early, Too Late, curated by Marco Scotini, and held at the National Art Gallery in the city centre, looks at Western visual culture and parallel developments  in  Middle  Eastern  countries.  The  works  on  show  -  paintings,  photographs, installations and documents (archival material, newspapers, video and film footage) - have been loaned by around 60 private Italian collections and represent about as many artists. A series of meetings with the curator and some of the participating artists is also scheduled at the Fair. “Despite evident globalisation” - says curator Scotini – “we cannot claim to speak for the reality of ‘others'’. That would be once again to adopt a colonial or ‘Orientalist’ approach, or whatever else you like to call it. All my work on Eastern Europe and now on the Middle East is simply to review and cast into question our point of view. The intention here is to look at the way the Middle Eastern art scene and visual culture today deals with and interprets its relationship with modernity”.

Cultural Mediators at the Too Early, Too Late Exhibition. This year will see the start of an important new service by Arte Fiera. In collaboration with Bologna's Fine Arts Academy, students from the Dept of Communication and Teaching, coordinated by Sergia Avveduti, Cristina Francucci and Silvia Spadoni, will act as cultural mediators, accompanying visitors through the exhibition and helping them understand the artists and their works.

Meetings – Arte Fiera Conversations
Arte Fiera’s Conversations programme co-ordinated by Riccarda Mandrini, a journalist of ArtEconomy 24, completes this year’s curatorial project. There will be ten important international meetings looking at the market and public and private investment in art, with particular focus on the emerging markets of Asia and the Middle East. Discussants will include Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo), Ramin Salsali (Salsali Museum, Dubai), Arsalan  Mohammed  (Harper’s  Bazaar  Arabia),  Urs  Stahel  (MAST  Gallery,  Bologna),  Lea Mattarella, Todd Levin (Levin Art Group), Claudia Brodbeck, (Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania).

‘Turner’ by Mike Leigh - Italian preview screening at Arte Fiera
The screening on Saturday, January 22 at 9 p.m. Bologna's Cineteca (Film Library) of Mike Leigh's Turner will be a special event for Arte Fiera and an absolute national first. A likely Oscar candidate and award winner at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Mike Leigh’s film is a splendid account of the visionary British artist, one of the most important painters of the nineteenth century. The preview showing at Arte Fiera has been strongly supported by the producers and director himself, who will be at the Fair on Sunday, January 25 at 12 a.m. to participate in a Conversations debate together with Cineteca director, Gianluca Farinelli.

Tribute to Alberto Burri and Marilena Bonomo
Arte Fiera 2015 this year remembers two greats: Alberto Burri, on the centenary of his birth, and gallery owner, Marilena Bonomi, who died on August 25, 2014.

Cellotex CW1, a work by the artist from Città del Castello dated 1981, will be on show at Arte Fiera. This is an exceptional opportunity since the work, held by the Fondazione Palazzo Albrizzini- Collezione Burri, is so large (252 x 610 cm - acrylic, vinavil on celotex) that it is extremely difficult to transport.

Marilena Bonomo created, and for many years directed one of the most important art galleries in Italy. It was through her that Italians got to know many artists on the international scene. Marilena Bonomo was also a great supporter of Arte Fiera, accepting to be a member of the Selection Committee. Our tribute is an acknowledgement of her professional role but also testifies to our deep affection for the person.

Art City Bologna
Arte Fiera will again be flanked by the third edition of Art City, the programme of events developed in partnership with the city of Bologna and involving its museums and art venues in a city hosting important  exhibitions  looking  at  the  underlying  theme  of  the  dialogue  between  ancient  and contemporary. During the days of Arte Fiera, Bologna and its museums will be the natural stage for contemporary art. Exhibitions, events, installations around town and meetings will be the perfect corollary to the show at the trade fair, bringing it inside the city walls. The exceptionally full programme includes events organised by the city's major contemporary art galleries and an important review at Bologna’s Fondazione Cineteca (Film Library). Art White Night on Saturday, January 24 when Bologna stays open at night will have hundreds of things going on and will attract tens of thousands of visitors, making Bologna Italy’s art capital. The full programme can be downloaded on the interactive map on Arte Fiera’s website.

Acquisition Fund
This year too Arte Fiera will be making available a special purchase Fund, now in its third edition. BolognaFiere is setting up its own collection, purchasing works on show at the fair for a total of €100,000. It is a strong vote of confidence on the part of the fair management and afford effective support to those who invest in artistic research despite the difficult market conditions.

Collectors’ Lounge, a new Arte Fiera space set aside for collectors’ business needs
The 2015 edition of Arte Fiera sees the inauguration of the Collectors Lounge, an area where collectors will be able to fix appointments with art galleries and also avail themselves of the assistance of a Personal Curator. The Lounge will also allow collectors to follow in real-time quotes for artworks and particular artists on the international market via online connections to the most important databanks and digital archives. The services of a Personal Curator will be available to give collectors further information on the artists on show, arrange personalised visits to the fair based on visitor preferences, and make appointments with gallery owners or with visiting speakers on the Conversations programme.

The Collectors’ Lounge is organised in collaboration with Artprice.com, world leader in art market information. With 4500 auction house partners from around the world, Artprice.com provides more than 30 million auction results and hammer prices from 1962 to today, as well as in-depth market studies of more than 570,000 artists.

The Awards
Now in his ninth edition, the Euromobil Under 30 Prize reserved to artists under 30 presenting at Arte Fiera, has gone from strength to strength. This year the traditional Award given by a jury of experts is flanked by a further prize, this time directly awarded by Arte Fiera visitors.

A new feature of the 2015 edition of Arte Fiera will be the Fondazione Arte Scienza Videoinsight Award for the work shown at the fair - which will subsequently be purchased - that best induces mental and physical wellbeing in the observer. Rebecca Russo, the Foundation President, explains the significance of the award: “The award will go to the work that best creates a feeling of psychological and physical wellbeing in viewers. This is in line with the aims of the Videoinsight Foundation that is to attain a deep, integrated, simple and essential understanding that involves the mind and affect at both the conscious and unconscious level, and so foster the development of the personality and promote mental and physical wellbeing”.

Young Entrepreneurs of Unindustria Bologna are inaugurating their art collection and will seek out young artists at Arte Fiera 2015 whose creativity has produced an artwork on the theme of work that gains acknowledgement with time. The award - #Contemporary Young - made available for the first time this year by young industrial entrepreneurs in Bologna is open to artists under 40 exhibiting at this year's fair and who, whatever the expressive technique used, are concerned with the theme of work: Art is Work - Is Work Art? The aim of the award is to identify a creation by a young artist that expresses the concept of work in an original artistic manner. The group of young entrepreneurs is committed to buying the selected work, which will become part of the Giovani Imprenditori di Unindustria Bologna’s Collection. The aim is to gradually establish an Association art collection and at the same time extend patronage to young artists. The Association is also committed to supporting Arte Fiera in future editions.

The fourth edition of the Rotary Valle del Samoggia Award for the most creative installation on show at Arte Fiera, is a prize to promote contemporary art culture especially among the young generations. This year the award enjoys the close collaboration of International Rotary District 2072 Emilia-Romagna and San Marino, Rotaract Bologna and the Libera Accademia di Studi Caravaggeschi ‘Francesco Maria Cardinal del Monte’. As well as an official acknowledgement, the award also includes a sum of money for the winning gallery.

The Secret Revealed. The Industrial Photography of E. O. Hoppé (Il Segreto svelato. La fotografia industriale di E.O. Hoppé) at MAST Again in 2015 the MAST Foundation (Manifattura di Arti, sperimentazione e Tecnologia) has confirmed  its  collaboration  with  Arte  Fiera  and  will  host  a  special  evening  for  galleries  and collectors. The MAST Photo Gallery, one of the world’s most prestigious galleries of industrial photography through the 20th century to today, will open the exhibition The Secret Revealed. Industrial Photography, 1912 – 1937 at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 23.   Visitors to this world preview will be accompanied by exhibition curator Urs Stahel and by Graham Howe, curator of the E.O. Hoppé Estate Collection, who will elaborate on the extraordinary figure of Emil Otto Hoppé, one of the most significant photographers of modern times.