The 2019 edition of Arte Fiera Bologna opens in a few days, on February 1st , and will last until 4th.
An edition that still renews the oldest fair in Italy, starting with its leader.
Three years ago, indeed, Angela Vettese come to the artistic direction. But after only two editions, the curator left. And so this year there is a new artistic director: Simone Menegoi.
Menegoi, born in 1970, has curated important exhibitions, from the Milan Triennale to the Kunsthal in Antwerp, to the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco. And he promises a transformation of the fair.
A “glocal” style renovation, we can say.
The new edition of the fair «focuses on its Italian character, but with an international quality standard», declares Menegoi.
Arte Fiera 2019 therefore introduces a new criterion for participation: the choice of artists that each gallery can present will be very limited.
From three to six artists per gallery, depending on the size of the stand. And with a preference for monographic stands. Over 50 galleries will present solo shows, indeed.
This significant change should lead to a greater concentration of global supply, perhaps trying to stem the dispersivity, a negative feature of our times.
Arte Fiera 2019 Bologna – The sections
The sections of Arte Fiera will be two: the Main Section and Photography and Images in Movement.
The Main Section will see the presentation of works from the Modern to the Postwar Art and to the more recent Contemporary, divided by areas of interest.
In the second section, instead, they will start from photography to arrive at the new expressive frontiers of digital art, from video to three-dimensionality.
The artistic direction of this second section is entrusted to the Fantom curatorial platform, active since 2009 between Milan and New York. The curators are Selva Barni, Ilaria Speri, Massimo Torrigiani and Francesco Zanot.
In total there will be 141 participating galleries: 128 in the Main Section and 18 in the Photography and Images in Movement section, with 5 galleries present in both sections.
Arte Fiera 2019, Bologna – Public program
In addition to the exhibition sections, the Arte Fiera 2019 program includes also five projects chosen by the artistic director.
The exhibition Solo figura e sfondo [Only Figure and Background], curated by Davide Ferri, inaugurates a cycle with an eloquent name: Courtesy Emilia-Romagna. These shows will be collaborations with public and private collections of the Emilia-Romagna Region, which will loan some of their works for exhibitions at the fair.
Oplà, Performing activities is the project curated by Silvia Fanti. A project based on performative art that will animate both the exhibition spaces and the entire city.
Then there is a project focused on art for children: together with the Golinelli Foundation, educational workshops will be set up on the theme Art and Science.
A project dedicated to art talks could not miss, with particular focus on the Italian situation between present, past and future. This project will be realized together with Flash Art, content partner of Arte Fiera.
Last, but first to get in touch with visitors, will be the project of the artist Flavio Favelli, Hic et Nunc, a lounge dedicated to the entire public of Arte Fiera.
Arte Fiera 2019, Bologna – More…
There will also be the assignment of six awards for artists: Mediolanum Prize for Painting, Arts and Project Award, Jacobacci & Partners, Annamaria and Antonio Maccaferri Photography Award, #ContemporaryYoung Award, ANGAMC Award, Bologna Rotary Prize Valle del Samoggia.
From painting to photography, from artists under 40 to the most creative installation, the prizes will represent a particular showcase that will highlight some of the excellences presented at the fair.
Finally there is ART CITY Bologna, the institutional show with exhibitions and events promoted by the Municipality of Bologna in collaboration with BolognaFiere.
It starts from January 25th until the opening of the fair, February 1st, which will mark an exploit of three more days.
A real art week directed by Lorenzo Balbi, artistic director of MAMbo – Museum of Modern Art in Bologna, with the aim of extending the cultural program to the whole city.
In this way also the ART CITY Cinema section has been thought. The Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna selected works that intertwine art and cinema, which will be projected at the Cinema Lumière.
Then there will be the ART CITY White Night, with the extraordinary opening of exhibition spaces, historic buildings, galleries and shops on Saturday night, February 2nd, until 24.
A branched and articulate fair-event therefore, which starts from the simplification and the concentration of the exhibited artists, to come then out of the fair’s walls and positively invade the entire city.
The promises for Arte Fiera 2019, to let the fair fly high in the Italian and International Art World are all there. We just have to see how it will end.
We at the PhotoPhore will be in Bologna to tell you about it!
ARTE FIERA 2019
February 01-04, 2019
Bologna – Italy
Discover: www.artefiera.it
