ARTEFIERA CELEBRATES ITS 50TH BIRTHDAY

It all began back in 1974, when BolognaFiere decided to present (along with what was then called the Trade Fair) a small section devoted to modern and contemporary art. A brilliant idea and an immediate success. The first edition had only ten galleries; a year later, there were 200. 1974-2024: an anniversary that no other Italian art fair has yet reached and that only two other fairs in Europe have exceeded.

Arte Fiera is celebrating its 50th birthday by focusing on its origins: the first, pioneering editions that in just a few years made it an international event. In 2024, the public program will take a look at events, personalities, works, and publications from those years, starting from the fair’s foundation in 1974. By doing this, it will also celebrate the ‘70s in Bologna, an extraordinary decade in which the city was at the vanguard (not only in Italy) in visual arts, design, architecture, and in conceiving new forms of relations among art, politics, and society. The creation of Arte Fiera was both a cause and an effect of those years, arising from the city’s innovative and bold environment and immediately giving it an essential stimulus.

Exhibitors, sections, curators

Arte Fiera 2024 picks up the thread of the fortunate 2023 edition, hailed by the press as a rebirth, welcomed by collectors, attended by visitors in pre-pandemic numbers. The location, the same as in the previous edition (Halls 25 and 26, two of the Bologna Fair District’s most elegant spaces, traditionally associated with the Fair), and 2023’s winning collaborations (starting with the one between Simone Menegoi as Artistic Director and Enea Righi, renowned manager and collector, as Managing Director) have been confirmed.

Arte Fiera 2024 will have 195 exhibitors. We welcome return of galleries such as the Apalazzo Gallery, Laveronica, Lia Rumma, Lorenzelli Arte, Franco Noero, Ronchini, Sprovieri.

The Main Section of Arte Fiera, divided as always into post-war and contemporary art, will again be accompanied by three curated, invitation-only sections: Photography and moving images, Pittura XXI, and Multiples, presenting works published in edition, ranging from artist books to design.

Pittura XXI will again be curated by Davide Ferri, critic and independent curator, while Photography and moving images is entrusted for the second time to Giangavino Pazzola, curator of di Camera - Centro italiano per la fotografia (Turin). Multiples will have a new curator: critic and art historian Alberto Salvadori. In addition to the curated sections, there will again be Percorso: not really a section, but, as the name implies, an itinerary that thematically links some of the stands in the Main Section. This year, Percorso’s theme will be a universal language that unites artists of different generations and styles: drawing.

The following is a brief description of each section and its participants: The Main Section ranges from Modern and post-war art, the fair’s traditional strong points, to contemporary research, with emphasis on Italian art.

Participating galleries

1/9 UNOSUNOVE, Rome
A ARTE INVERNIZZI, Milan
GALLERIA GIAMPAOLO ABBONDIO, Todi (PG), Milan
ABC – ARTE, Genoa, Milan
AF GALLERY, Bologna
ANDREA INGENITO CONTEMPORARY ART, Naples, Milan
ARMANDA GORI ARTE, Prato
ART D2 - MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, Milan
ARTESILVA, Seregno (MB)
ARTOPIA, Milan
ENRICO ASTUNI, Bologna
PIERO ATCHUGARRY GALLERY, Miami (USA), Garzon (UY), Milan
UMBERTO BENAPPI, Turin
BIASUTTI & BIASUTTI, Turin
FLORA BIGAI, Pietrasanta (LU)
GALLERIA GIOVANNI

BONELLI, Milan, Pietrasanta (LU), Canneto sull'Oglio (MN)

BOTTEGANTICA, Milan
THOMAS BRAMBILLA, Bergamo
C+N GALLERY CANEPANERI, Milan, Genoa
CA' DI FRA', Milan
STUDIO D'ARTE CAMPAIOLA, Rome
CARDELLI & FONTANA, Sarzana (SP)
ALESSANDRO CASCIARO, Bolzano
ANTONELLA CATTANI, Bolzano
GLAUCO CAVACIUTI, Milan
GALLERIA CENTRO STECCATA, Parma
CINQUANTASEI, Bologna
GALLERIA CLIVIO, Milan, Parma
CONTINI, Venice, Cortina d'Ampezzo (BL)
COPETTI ANTIQUARI, Udine
MAURIZIO CORRAINI, Mantua
CORTESI GALLERY, Lugano (CH), Milan
DE' BONIS, Reggio Emilia
DE' FOSCHERARI, Bologna
DELLUPI ARTE, Milan
DEP ART GALLERY, Milan, Ceglie Messapica (BR)
UMBERTO DI MARINO, Naples
DI PAOLO ARTE, Bologna
E3 ARTE CONTEMPORANEA, Brescia
EDDART, Rome
EIDOS IMMAGINI CONTEMPORANEE, Asti
EX ELETTROFONICA, Rome
FEDERICA SCHIAVO GALLERY SRL, Rome
FERRARINARTE, Legnano (VR)
GALLERIA FONTI, Naples
FORNI, Bologna
FRANCESCA ANTONINI ARTE CONTEMPORANEA, Rome
FRITTELLI, Florence
GALLERIA GABURRO, Verona, Milan
GALERIE MICHAELA STOCK, Vienna (AT)
GALLERIA CONTINUA, San Gimignano (SI), Beijing (CN), Les Moulins (FR), Havana (CU), Rome, São Paulo (BR), Paris (FR), Dubai (AE)
FREDIANO FARSETTI, Milan
GALLERIA PAOLA VERRENGIA, Salerno
GALLERIA POGGIALI, Florence, Milan, Pietrasanta (LU)
STEFANO FORNI, Bologna
GALLERIA STUDIO G7, Bologna
GASPARELLI, Fano (PU)
GALLERIA GIRALDI, Leghorn
STUDIO GUASTALLA, Milan
GUASTALLA CENTRO ARTE, Leghorn
IL CHIOSTRO ARTECONTEMPORANEA, Saronno (VA)
IL PONTE, Florence
KROMYA ART GALLERY, Verona, Lugano (CH)
LABS CONTEMPORARY ART, Bologna
L'ARIETE ARTECONTEMPORANEA, Bologna
LAVERONICA, Modica (RG)
L'INCONTRO, Chiari (BS)
LORENZELLI ARTE, Milan
LUNETTA11, Mombarcaro (CN)
M77, Milan, Mallorca (IB)
MAAB, Milan
GALLERIA D'ARTE MAGGIORE A.M.,

Bologna, Rome, Venice, Paris (FR)

MARCOROSSI ARTECONTEMPORANEA, Milan, Pietrasanta (LU), Turin, Verona
PRIMO MARELLA, Milan, Lugano (CH)
MATÈRIA, Rome
MATTEO BELLENGHI MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART, Alassio (SV), Milan
MAZZOLENI, Turin, London (UK)
GALLERIA MAZZOLI, Modena, Berlin (DE)
MENHIR ART GALLERY, Milan
MICHELA RIZZO, Venice
MIMMO SCOGNAMIGLIO ARTECONTEMPORANEA, Milan
FRANCESCA MININI, Milan
GALLERIA MASSIMO MININI, Brescia
MONITOR, Rome, Lisbon (PT), Pereto (AQ)
MUCCIACCIA GALLERY, Rome, London (UK), Cortina d'Ampezzo (BL), Singapore (SG)
NICCOLI – SPERONE, Parma, Turin
NICOLA PEDANA, Caserta
FRANCO NOERO, Turin
OPEN ART, Prato
OSART GALLERY, Milan
P420, Bologna
GIORGIO PERSANO, Turin
POLESCHI ARTE, Milan
PROGETTOARTE ELM, Milan
PROMETEO GALLERY, Milan, Lucca
QUAM, Scicli (RG)
RENATA FABBRI, Milan
REPETTO GALLERY, Lugano (CH)
RIBOT, Milan
RICHARD SALTOUN, London (UK), Rome
RIZZUTOGALLERY, Palermo
ROCCATRE, Turin
RONCHINI, London (UK)
ROSSOVERMIGLIOARTE, Padua
LIA RUMMA, Milan, Naples
RUSSO, Rome
SANTO FICARA, Florence
SECCI GALLERY, Florence, Milan, Pietrasanta (LU)
SHAZAR GALLERY, Naples
EDOUARD SIMOENS, Knokke (BE)
SPAZIOA, Pistoia
SPROVIERI, London (UK)
STUDIO D'ARTE RAFFAELLI, Trento
STUDIO GARIBOLDI, Milan
STUDIO SALES, Rome
THE GALLERY APART, Rome
GALLERIA TONELLI, Milan, Porto Cervo (OT)
TORBANDENA, Trieste
TORNABUONI ARTE, Florence, Milan, Rome, Forte dei Marmi (LU), Crans Montana (CH), Paris (FR)
TRAFFIC, Bergamo
ANTONIO VEROLINO, Modena
GALLERIA VIGATO, Alessandria
VISTAMARE, Milan, Pescara
WIZARD GALLERY, Milan
Z2O SARA ZANIN, Rome
.., Milan

Photography and moving images has become a reference point for photograph collectors and photography enthusiasts. The photographic medium is presented from a broad perspective and dialogues with other media, especially video. For the second year, the section is curated by Giangavino Pazzola, curator of Camera - Centro Italiano per la Fotografia in Turin.

Participating galleries

ALESSIA PALADINI GALLERY, Milan
ANTONIA JANNONE DISEGNI DI ARCHITETTURA, Milan
VALERIA BELLA, Milan
GLENDA CINQUEGRANA, Milan
MARTINI & RONCHETTI, Genoa
MATÈRIA, Rome

MC2GALLERY, Tivat (ME), Milan
MLB MARIA LIVIA BRUNELLI, Ferrara, Porto Cervo (OT)
MLZ ART DEP, Trieste
MONTRASIO ARTE, Monza, Milan, Piacenza
NCONTEMPORARY, Milan, London (UK)
PACI CONTEMPORARY,

Brescia, Porto Cervo (OT)

PAOLA SOSIO CONTEMPORARY, Milan
SPAZIO NUOVO, Rome
SPOT HOME GALLERY, Naples
ANTONIO VEROLINO, Modena
VISIONQUEST 4ROSSO, Genoa

Now in its fifth edition, Pittura XXI, a panorama of 21^st-century painting from Italy and abroad, presents emerging talents as well as mid-career artists. Once again, the section will be curated by Davide Ferri, critic and independent curator.

Participating galleries

ACAPPELLA, Naples
ADA, Rome
BOCCANERA, Trento, Milan
CAR GALLERY, Bologna
GALLERIA DORIS GHETTA, Ortisei (BZ), Milan
ERMES-ERMES, Rome
FEDERICO RUI, Milan
FRANCESCA ANTONINI

ARTE CONTEMPORANEA,

Rome

GALLERIA MASSIMOLIGREGGI, Catania
GILDA LAVIA, Rome
LUCA TOMMASI, Milan
MARCELLE ALIX, Paris (FR)
FPAC FRANCESCO PANTALEONE ARTE CONTEMPORANEA, Palermo, Milan
SOCIÉTÉ INTERLUDIO, Turin
TATJANA PIETERS, Ghent (BE)
UNA, Piacenza

This year, Multiples, devoted to works in edition, is curated by Alberto Salvadori, critic and art historian. The section includes galleries, specialised bookstores, and publishers, and ranges from books to the press, sculpture in edition to precious objects, in a multifaceted and inclusive panorama of multiplied art.

Participating exhibitors

ALBICOCCO, Udine
APALAZZOGALLERY, Brescia
BABS ART GALLERY, Milan
CAPUTOCOLOSSI INCONTRO D’ARTE, Brescia
COLOPHONARTE, Belluno
DANILO MONTANARI EDITORE, Ravenna
GALLERIA SCARCHILLI, Rome
GALLLERIAPIÙ, Bologna
LITOGRAFIA BULLA, Rome
MONTRASIO ARTE, Milan, Monza, Piacenza
PARADISOTERRESTRE, Bologna
TONINI EDITORE, Gussago (BS), Milan

Opus Novum #6: Luisa Lambri

Every year since 2019, Arte Fiera has commissioned a well-known Italian artist to create a new work to be presented at the Fair. So far, Opus Novum (as the series is named) has commissioned works from Flavio Favelli (2019), Eva Marisaldi (2020), Stefano Arienti (2021), Liliana Moro (2022), and Alberto Garutti (2023).

In 2024, the commission will go to Luisa Lambri, an internationally famous Italian artist whose medium is the photographic image. Known mainly for her images of modernist architecture, so essential that they approach abstraction, Lambri does not photograph architecture any more than Morandi painted cups and bottles: just like the Bolognese master, she investigates relations among space, time, and light by means of an engrossing series of variations.

For Arte Fiera, Lambri focuses on an important but almost unknown building: Alvar Aalto’s Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Assumption of Mary) in Riola, in the Bolognese Apennines. Designed in 1966 and built 10 years later, this is the Finnish architect’s only work in Italy. Lambri’s new images, concentrating on a few isolated details of the church, will be exhibited along with others that she created previously and matched with the new ones by similarity, in another jewel of modernist architecture in Bologna: the Padiglione de L’Esprit Nouveau (1977), the replica of a temporary architectural work by Le Corbusier from 1925. Built to honour the French master, it is so faithful to the original that it has been added to the Le Corbusier Foundation’s heritage list. Lambri’s project therefore unites two superb examples of Bologna’s architecture from the ‘70s - two outstanding instances of the city’s creativity in those years.

Collaborations and partnerships

The collaboration between Arte Fiera and the Furla Foundation for performance has been renewed. Arte Fiera 2024’s programme of live performances will be curated by Bruna Roccasalva, the Foundation’s Artistic Director. For many years, Furla Foundation has promoted a business model based on institutional synergies, and its renewed partnership with Arte Fiera confirms its participation in the cultural life of Bologna, its native city.

We have also renewed our partnership with Mutina. This famous ceramics brand, with creations by the world’s top designers, is known for its strong links to contemporary art. After its 2023 partnership with Mousse, the Milanese art book publisher, in whose books Mutina’s ceramics dialogued in an ad hoc presentation, Mutina will again be at Arte Fiera with a special project to be announced soon.

Arte Fiera and BPER

Arte Fiera is proud to announce that BPER Banca has strengthened its commitment to the event and has become the Main Partner of Arte Fiera 2024. With this important step, the primary fair for art and Italian galleries is now linked to a national bank with strong ties in its home territory: a bank that actively promotes and supports art and culture, convinced that they are essential for both local development and social inclusion.

For further info www.artefiera.it