The New York art world is smaller than what it seems, nonetheless it is still quite varied and exciting. An electrifying city, difficult, but very generous. A place where one really wants to try and succeed.
Which is the perception of the Italian contemporary art world in the New York context? This and many other questions are at the basis of a study conducted during the first edition of the Terna Prize, “Transmitting Energy: A Contemporary Metaphor”, with the objective of establishing an increasingly enriching dialogue “across the ocean” on contemporary art. This is the beginning of a true interaction between Italian and New York contemporary art: two different worlds, in terms of possibilities, market, aspirations and prospects, a gap that was perceived by artists, gallery owners and curators working in the Big Apple. The common opinion is that there is very little knowledge about contemporary art “made in Italy” and the Italian scene in general. Only the names of the most famous galleries or foundations are known, but the names of the most interesting Italian artists are unheard of.
The widespread idea that emerged from the many on-site interviews conducted is of a limited and undefined system, lacking in resources and that is forced to feed only around a few privileged groups. The New York scene, on the other hand, continues to be a continuously transforming pulsating hub. Nonetheless, the present global recession is also affecting the Big Apple with obvious consequences on the art world. On the other hand, it is quite interesting how many Italian artists living in the United States realize after several years that the art world is more limited than what it appears to be. «The New York art world is smaller than it seems, nonetheless it is still quite varied and exciting. An electrifying city, difficult, but very generous. It is a place where one really wants to try and succeed,» replies Matteo Norzi, of the artistic duo Isola e Norzi, that lives and works between Italy and New York.
A city where one can still try to succeed within an open and accessible circuit which because of this is extremely competitive. «It is an experiment whose result is unknown, every individuality is legitimized by his own existence and by his capability of making a difference that is culturally enriching» adds Nicola Verlato, who lives in New York and who recently exhibited at the Italian Pavilion of the Biennale in Venice. More in general, many believe that New York artists have a level of professional training and awareness that is much higher than that of Italian artists. Luigi Fassi, curator and critic, presently Helena Rubinstein Curatorial Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art ISP in NY remarked «many American artists, thanks to the quality of their training, teach at the universities and the Art Schools in the city as their main source of living».
Almost all the artists that attend a school in New York will exhibit collectively and in the best cases, will also have a solo exhibit in a Manhattan gallery. Irina Zucca Alessandrelli, curator between Italy and New York, commented «In Italy we do not have a system of galleries that has a constant need for proposing artists. In the United States, a Master in Fine Arts works very well since it urges artists to improve their style bringing them closer to that of the gallery owners. Nothing like this exists in Italy. Once an artist graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts, he is on his own ».
Italy is perceived as lacking in a “system”, of having a fragmented and disjointed art world that does not encourage young artists in pursuing a career and in establishing a connection with the market. The differences between the United States and Italy are the strongest with regard to public and private support. Generally, the diversification of funding for art that exists in America (private, corporate or foundation) offers greater advantages and opportunities for developing artistic projects that are also large scale. In Italy, the relationship between public and private support still remains very confused.
The impression is that the support offered to art largely depends on the country’s political maneuvers and that most of the system is based on private funding such as galleries, foundations or collectors. Unlike the rest of Europe, from the government point of view, Italy is lacking in any type of public scholarships granted to artists. In Italy, as in other countries, the key is interconnecting the public and private sectors for guaranteeing development and support to creativity, particularly at the International level.
2009-07-13
