Arte Fiera, the first and oldest tradeshow of modern and contemporary art in Italy,was held in Bologna until the 26th of january. 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 one and also give a central place to Art Collecting.
More than two hundred exhibitors, with 188 art galleries and more than 2000 works by 1000 artists were on stage. The 39th edition of Arte Fiera underlined the significance of 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 Main Section of the event presented an exhaustive overview of artistic production in and outside of Italy. A new feature of this year’s edition was a special Curators’ Space entitled “Leading Players” dedicated to art galleries that made a major contribution to furthering appreciation of contemporary art. Other sections were dedicated to Solo Shows and The New Proposals.
The Exhibition “Too Early, Too Late. Middle East and Modernity” is on (until April 12, 2015) at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna (Bologna’s National Art Gallery). It looks at Western visual culture and parallel developments in Middle Eastern countries. The works on show – paintings, photographs, installations and documents, 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 were also scheduled at the Fair. The 2015 edition of Arte Fiera saw the inauguration of the Collectors Lounge, an area where collectors can fix appointments with art galleries and avail themselves of the assistance of a Personal Curator.
Several prizes were awarded during Arte Fiera: among them Euromobil Under 30 Prize, #Contemporary Young and the Fondazione Arte Scienza Videoinsight Award. Arte Fiera will be making available a special purchase Fund, now in its third edition. Indeed, BolognaFiere is setting up its own collection, purchasing works on show at the fair, as a vote of confidence on the part of the fair management and to afford effective support to those who invest in artistic research despite the difficult market conditions.
Photography has a main role within Arte Fiera. Indeed, photography has always been considered a fundamental element of the visual art scene and as a branch has firmly established itself and gained ground in the markets over the last few years. This trend is highly regarded by Arte Fiera 2015, which dedicated a section exclusively to photography for the second year running. The initiative is born of the synergy between BolognaFiere and MIA Fair – Milan Image Art Fair, the first art fair dedicated to photography in Italy, designed and directed by Fabio Castelli. Twenty-four prestigious selected galleries introduced Italian and international photographers: famous and emerging, traditional and experimental, classical or avant-garde. Projects presented ranged from the discovery of the body and architectural spaces to abstract photography, alongside monographic stands displaying in-depth and intriguing analyses of individual artists. The Galleries included: Alquindici, Arionte Arte Contemporanea, Artistocratic, C.A.M. Galeri, Costantini Art Gallery, Con-Temporary Art Paola Sosio, Riccardo Costantini Contemporary, Forma Galleria, Little Birds, Made4art, mc2 Gallery, MLB home gallery, Must Gallery, Galleria Pack, Phn Neutro, Photo & Co., Photographica Fine Art, RB Contemporary, Romberg Arte Contemporanea, Sabrina Raffaghello Arte Contemporanea, Spazio Nuovo, Valeria Bella, VisionQuest, Weber & Weber.
Arte Fiera was flanked by Art City, the program of events developed in partnership with the city of Bologna and involving its museums and art venues, underlying the theme of the dialogue between ancient and contemporary. The White Night was held on Saturday, January 24 th when Bologna stays open at night.
On stage also The Secret Revealed. The Industrial Photography of E. O. Hoppé exhibit at MAST Gallery, which confirmed its collaboration with Arte Fiera hosting also a special evening for galleries and collectors.
FESTIVAL
Arte Fiera 2015
January 23 – 26 2015
Bologna Exhibition Center
Piazzale Ovest Costituzione
40127 Bologna
Italy
January, Friday 23 to Sunday 25: 11.00 am – 7.00 pm;
January, Monday 26: 11.00 am – 5.00 pm
http://www.artefiera.it
http://www.artefiera.bolognafiere.it
