“When a young person walks into my gallery, looks around, focuses on the exhibit being presented and perhaps even asks a few questions, he is already promoted. If, instead, he is indifferent to what is being displayed, too concentrated on himself, then he starts off on the wrong foot”.
What is the difference between the activities of a “research” gallery and a commercial gallery?
The commercial gallery deals with artworks, the research gallery with artists. Being a research gallery does not mean only working with emerging artists, but also producing the exhibits and the work of the artists, working with them for initiatives that take place both inside and outside of the gallery, participating in awards, for example. As a research gallery, in addition to cultivating new talents, we believe in where a lot of energy is invested, both personally and economically, we do not operate according to the market, we do not buy and sell paintings. On the contrary, we promote the artworks of our artists.
How does a young artist build his career? Do you think you can propose a mini-decalogue?
The relationship between an artist and the gallery is always somewhat conflicting since the artist inevitably produces and the gallery promotes. A synergy must be created, but it obvious that there is always some type of conflict. Without considering the many artists that believe they have talent, but in reality do not. Sometimes our promotion policies may not be understood tbythe artists, other times young artists are deceived by a market system where many galleries actually exploit their capabilities: they are taken in and then abandoned to themselves. Serious galleries, instead, work on the talent of a young artist investing twice as much in order to allow him to produce his work, improve his identity and promote him also in other art circles. For this purpose, we have created a Project Room curated by Laura Cherubini. This space exhibits young artists who have just graduated from the academies and have never had any possibilities for exhibiting their works. Obviously, a long time goes by from here to building a solid and lasting connection with the gallery. One thing I’ve noticed many times among young people is that often, maybe on the footsteps of artists that have come from abroad, they believe that marketing is everything: they propose their art books and feel that at 25 they have made it.
….and how do you think they should propose themselves?
What is missing is the patience required for pursuing a career, step after step, with great humility. I personally put artists to a test: when a young person walks into my gallery and looks around focusing on the exhibit, whomever the artist, and perhaps even asks some questions, for me he is already promoted. If instead, he walks in and is indifferent to the artworks being displayed, he starts off on the wrong foot. The fundamental elements of an artists should be his will to study, his attention and his curiosity. But above all, he must have a very strong identity, if possible original, and have a thread of continuity, a line that is traceable even in his brief career.
What are the costs in terms of time and energy in planning and organizing an exhibit?
In our case, planning occurs over a long period of time, we have exhibits planned up to January 2011. I work together with 3 assistants, but the involvement is significant since we work with rather well-known artists. Having artworks transit through or producing new ones, inevitably requires technical time frames that must be respected. Planning is done in advance. In terms of energy, the effort varies according to each case. We organize about 4 solo exhibits a year and a collective one. The collective exhibit would appear to be the easiest one, but it is actually the hardest from the organizational point of view. Exhibiting only one artist also depends on the artist’s personality. I tend to leave him the floor entirely, but I am also happy to participate. If I am convinced by the project the artist is proposing, we can do what he wants. For example, at times the gallery was literally turned upside down, new walls and rooms were built. Gilberto Zorio, for example, during his exhibit, brought 20 truckloads of bricks to build an art work. Each time the project is a world to itself with its own history that depends on the characteristics of the artist and of his work.
How is a program defined?
Once the theme is identified and the type of artworks, besides acting to have new artworks produced, it is necessary to develop a communication plan. The invitation has to be designed, the press release, the profile cards for each work displayed. The catalogue, unlike many others, is prepared after: a memory of what was, and this requires a great deal of energy, also financially. We work with Skira to prepare the catalogues; we have created a specific publishing line named Skira-Oredaria. Then we also have to take care of the invitations, each time we mail out at least four thousand, then there is the web communication as well as the organization and cooperation to present the artists in non-profit spaces, the presence in sector fairs to introduce your work and the gallery. There is something else which to me is also very important: involving the different types of public, presenting other topics within the gallery such as music, dance, film and books. During our last exhibit of Mario Merz, we joined the philosopher, the art critic and the artist in one single debate.
In brief, which is your exhibition line?
When I first opened this gallery, I did not want to be a talent scout as many new exhibition spaces set out to be that make their debut on the market. This is also because I am not an art historian. The choice initially fell on important Italian artists that do not need my “imprinting” to exist. Italian artists. When I opened there were galleries that were exhibiting only foreign artists. Then, as time went by, I also welcomed young artists as well a few foreign ones, but only when the gallery had acquired a certain respect and dignity. I must say that we immediately received positive responses and we were admitted to important fairs, but I still consider myself as someone that still needs “to be placed”.
Do you have relations with international galleries?
We are all merchants and because we all operate on the market, synergy is difficult to establish. Various types of exchanges can be developed with foreign galleries, but not that quickly. Certainly partnerships cannot be established. Alliances are strategic, but just as difficult and require supplementary resources. In Italy, it is much easier. In March, for example, I will have an exhibit on Luca Soncini jointly with the Fumagalli Gallery in Bergamo. More generally, if I am interested in someone, I always contact a gallery that has already established a previous connection with the artist. In Italy, galleries represent a craft, not an industry. Imagining an exchange with Larry Gagosian would be quite difficult….
OREDARIA GALLERY
The Oredaria Gallery is a 300 square meter exhibition space “intentionally” located only a few meters from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome, the Macro. Inaugurated 6 months ago, it has a group of 20 artists that steadily collaborate with the gallery, including: Michelangelo Pistoletto and Gilberto Zorio, Ettore Spalletti, Maurizio Mochetti. “Artists having a consolidated CV –explained gallery director Marina Covi Celli- that have decided they still have much to say. “
2009-10-05
