“Once I find a group of artists who intrigue and interest me, I try to make them work together and to organize exhibitions that present a coherent body of work and follow the same research, although they may be aesthetically very different.
What is the difference between the activities of a “research” gallery and those of a commercial gallery?
There is certainly a big difference. The first difference lies in the fact that a research gallery works directly with the artists; it is an important difference because it requires time, patience, and great flexibility; it is a job in itself. The research is also an attempt to identify and understand the potentials of an artist, to follow and advise him, and especially to promote his work by organizing exhibits, creating catalogues, etc. This type of relationship and the initial investment made by the gallery result in the beginning of a career. More commercial galleries, on the other hand, or simply galleries that work on the secondary market, sell what is being proposed to them and what they are being requested. This activity also involves analysis and information gathering. Research galleries place greater importance on their own space which they utilize to set up various exhibits during the season and to display and introduce artists with whom they work to the public.
How is a young artist supposed to build his own career? Is there a mini handbook that you could suggest? Is there anything that should be avoided altogether?
I would say that there is no such thing as a handbook. One’s career should be built with determination, choosing the gallery which is the closest to one’s own way of thinking. At the beginning an artist should obviously work with a young gallery that shares his ambitions and curiosity. It is only after a certain number of years that one can think of working with a famous gallery because the latter is bound to have other ambitions and a different way of doing business. In a few words, one should pay one’s dues and learn the language of art. It may be a short path, depending on the personality of the artist and his ability to promote himself. It is important to travel, learn what goes on in the rest of the world, visit research galleries, face other realities, compare oneself with artists from other countries and not believe that one is good only because this is what family and neighbors say.
How much does it cost, in terms of time and energy, to plan and set up an exhibit?
In my case, planning and setting up an exhibit is the most important part of the work. Granted that it’s a great waste of energy and time; however, at this stage, it is necessary to know the mind of the artist with whom one works which is why it is a critical phase of the relationship one has with the artist and with art itself. A well set-up exhibit implies that there is a thought, an awareness and an idea behind the work. The ability to show an art piece next to another is the result of years of experience and allows visitors to better understand the meaning of the artwork. People may not always realize that an exhibit is well organized but they do recognize one that is poorly set up.
How do you prepare a program?
This is a very personal thing; it depends on many factors, such as the financial means one has and one’s long-term projects. In my case, once I find a group of artists who intrigue and interest me, I try to make them work together, I try to organize exhibitions that present a coherent body of work and follow the same research, although they may be aesthetically very different. I’m usually drawn to artists who make me understand things to which I had no answer.
What is your exhibition line?
Having had a gallery for several years, I have learned many things. Artists have gone in and out. Ideas and research work have changed but I believe there is still a common thread; almost all artists with whom I worked can exhibit their art together, even years later, perhaps because what connects them is simply my taste and personal research.
Are you in contact with international art galleries? If so, how do you build a good network?
Yes, I am. I deal with several international galleries. You can build a good network by looking for galleries that have similar ideas and interests as well as common objectives; otherwise there can be no real exchange. There are no rules; I believe that, as everywhere else, the exchange should be mutual and marked by common interest.
La Città Studio - Verona
La Città Studio opened in Verona in 1969. It started its activity by organizing exhibits by Lucio Fontana, Piero Dorazio, Mario Schifano and Gianni Colombo. During the 70’s the program focused on analytical and minimal art by showing the work of artists such as Ulrich Erben, Giorgio Griffa, Sol Lewitt, Robert Mangold, and Robert Ryman, thereby starting, after the Italian one, an international art programming. Since the end of the 80’s, after the transavantgarde, the gallery has focused on artists such as Lawrence Carroll, Herbert Hamak, John McCracken, David Simpson and Ettore Spalletti, who are interested in chromatic minimalism. It also focused on that part of the artistic research which explores the boundaries between contemporary society and pure nature, between the analog and digital worlds, and exhibited, for the first time, art work by Jacob Hashimoto and Hiroyuki Masuyama. Among the gallery’s classic contemporary artists are also Gabriele Basilico, Alberto Garutti, Pierpaolo Calzolari , Ettore Spalletti, and Giulio Paolini. Moreover, La Città Studio has recently included in its new exhibit program artists such as Eelco Brand, Arthur Duff, Izima Kaoru, David Lindberg, Steve Roden, Mikhael Subotzky, Timothy Tompkins, and Pablo Zuleta-Zahr. The gallery has recently added to its artistic selection the new languages of Indian art and organized an exhibition entitled “India Crossing” in which the following artists participated: Riyas Komu, Hema Upadhyay, Nataraj Sharma, Valsan Koorma Kolleri, Ashim Purkayastha, and Shilpa Gupta. In May 2007, the new Lungadige Galtarossa exhibition center was inaugurated: 900 square meters that can house exhibits and cultural events. The space in this area was laid out in such a flexible way that it can host more than one exhibit at the same time, thereby allowing us to show the work of young artists, but also performances and installation artworks well as exhibits by famous contemporary artists. The gallery represents the appropriate location where various types of events can take place (presentation of catalogues, concerts, inaugurations, theater performances, etc.). Additionally, there is a video room for the projection of exhibitions dealing with this new art form.
2009-10-07
