Exhibition Review: Fondazione Pomodoro, Milan

View of 1st Floor of Exhibition (f.l.t.r.): 

Corrafo Bonomi Non omnis moriar (1997); Laura Renna Stormo vulgaris (2010);

Fabrizio Corneli Grande Volante VIII (2002); Gianni Dessi Confini 1 (2009)

Paolo Delle Monache Archeologia di un istante (2010)

Fabrizio Corneli Grande Volante VIII (2002)

Gehard Demetz Hitler Mao (2010)

Bertozzi & Casoni Madonna scheletrita (2008)

Loris Cecchini Wallwave Vibrations (quanta canticum) (2009)

I would have to say that this month has been a great time for me to really push myself into going to art events that have been outside my typical comfort zone. So why does the exhibition "The Italian Sculpture of the XXI Century" at the Fondazione Pomodoro fit into this?  

Simple. I am a 2-D girl. It's a sad fact, but that is the work I usually find easier to interpret and am most quickly drawn to. 


Of course, this is not true 100% of the time. There are plenty of sculptures that I have loved since my first art history courses at University of Dallas. However, I always found it easier to write about 2-D work, because in the university setting these images were better transmitted from pages of an art history book or the slide projector in class. Sculptures and installations lose most of their value in this forum. 

What was even more exciting was the rarity of attending an exhibition where I was in awe of so many diverse sculptures and installations. In fact, the entire execution of the show exceeded my expectations. The show, which officially began on the 20th of October and ends on the 20th of January, displayed the most contemporary and recent sculptures and installations by 80 Italian artists.

The Fondazione Pomodoro's architecture adds to the splendor of presenting the works in a space that truly celebrates 3-D works of art, both small and large. This interplay of scale was well balanced in the exhibition and an obvious consideration when viewing contrasting works such as Fabrizio Corneli's Grande Volante VIII (2002) and Paolo Delle Monache's Archeologia de un istante (2010). 

Political themes were also considered in works that presented tyrannical leadership by few and the corrosive pollution by many, as respectively portrayed in Gehard Demetz's Hitler Mao (2010) and Bertozzi and Casoni's Madonna Scheletrita (2008). I was particularly fond of Demetz's work, as I had met the Galerie Rubin’s owners (who loaned this work to the exhibition) in Berlin at Preview Berlin. I will talk more about this and Berlin in my upcoming Recaps. 


Madonna Scheletrita in particular allowed for some interesting conversations between me and some Sicilian friends with who had I had been accompanied to the show. It was nice discussing contemporary art with people who come from completely opposite professional spheres from me (and each other). 

Perhaps the piece that I would want to own was Loris Cecchini's Wallwave Vibrations (Quanto Canticum) (2009), because, in the plainest terms, I thought it was a really visually interesting piece. I just liked it. 


Many times, art is as easy as that. 

Exhibition Review: Berlin

Hey guys, check out my latest exhibition review on Feinkost an art gallery in Berlin. I just became a contributing writer for my friends at Berlin Art Link's, I will tell you more about their company in a few weeks. In the meantime, check out their website!

Events: Opera Night

 

It happened, I can’t believe it actually happened!

On a rushed Monday night I had the opportunity to go to Milan and hope that there would be a ticket for me for the Teatro alla Scala’s performance of the opera L'Elisir d'amore. Exhausted from my back-to-back art filled days in Spain and Germany, I really wanted to relax at home. (Art people get tired of cultural events from time to time). However, I was reminded that life is worth taking risks and the chance to see an opera at Milan’s prestigious theater was one I might not get again.

So I went. Without a ticket. Running 20 minutes late. I went.

Boy, am I glad I risked it! When we got there, there were no tickets left, but somehow through the magic that is persistence, a ticket 'appeared’. So I headed up to my balcony seat, not exactly sure what to expect, but excited nonetheless.

On a sidenote, I would like to remind my readers that I started this blog to help ease newbies into the art world. I know some events can seem intimidating, but the silver lining is always there – the art. Having said that, the opera crowd is not my scene. I was a little uneasy to be around the more established (aka older) audience members at Milan's Teatro alla Scala. 

Called La Scala to most, Teatro alla Scala is the center of the Italian opera world. In a video about this year's production, the lead male tenor from L'Elisir d'amore, Rolando Villazón from Mexico City, Mexico called it "la cattadrale della lirica" (the cathedral of lyric). His female counterpart was Nino Machaidze a soprano from Tbilisi, Georgia. Paired together and with the help of an energetic cast this production of L'Elisir d'amore proved to be a fantastic interpretation of the amusingly touching romantic comedy. 

Originally written by Gaetano Donizetti in 1831 and set at the end of the 18th century, this year's production was set in the 1950s. Although I could tell that some of the traditionalist opera-goers in the audience were not amused by this interpretation, I thought it was a wonderful way to modernize a work that is well-known amongst Italians, especially those who regularly attend the opera. 

L'Elisir d'amore was wonderful. I would recommend it as the perfect opera for someone unfamiliar with this scene, but willing to try. It is lighter than most operas. The language is not overly difficult to understand, in Italian of course. And best of all, the acting is very funny at times. 

The theater is spectacularly fitting. The interior architecture gilded in gold and the antique lighting immediately recall all the women and men from centuries back who had watched the same opera and sat in the same balcony seat as I had that night. There is something very zen about visiting such an established place in Europe and knowing that you are only one small cog in the history of a place that has celebrated the efforts of composers, playrights, musicians, and actors since 1778.

Exhibition Review: Galleria Franco Toselli, Milano

Exhibition Poster

Bonomo Faita*, Mercurio e Venere (Mercury and Venus), 2008-2010

Bonomo Faita*,  Fuga per un Picnic, 2008-2010

Bonomo Faita*,  Self P, 2008-2010

With the thesis finished I have realized how much free time I have after work. After months of feeling guilty for watching that extra episode on iTunes or spending a few more minutes perusing Facebook and Google Reader (usually simultaneaoulsy), I now have no reason to worry about this 'lounging'. Alas, I still do.


That's why I was particularly grateful when the opportunity to attend a gallery opening in Milan passed my way. I knew it would be a rather long drive, but no one misses the movement of a big city as much as I do. And, surprisingly, since moving to this part of Northern Italy, the closest I have gotten to the fashion capitol is it's depressingly dismal Malpensa airport.


So, after work I ventured to put on my most trendy gallerista outfit (slim-pickings with most of my luggage ready for my Texas return), and set off for the big city.


Galleria Franco Toselli is located in la zona Sempione in Milan, Italy. Owned and run by artist Franco Toselli, the gallery is an intimate space.  The exhibition was Fuga per un Picnic, and showcased a collection of the works of 36 artists. The main room, which is more of a wide corridor, is a comfortable setting where the audience and several of the exhibiting artists were able to interact, converse, and share amusing anticdotes. Such was one experience with performance and visual artist Charlemagne Palestine, who was one of the first people I meant when I entered the gallery. With a witty remark and a boisterous laugh, both of which paired perfectly with his playful stuffed creatures, I was quickly put at ease.


I walked through the gallery feeling very light and child-like. Perhaps this is related to the rest of the images in the exhibition, none of which are somber, chaotic, or grotesque. With irony present in each of the works, it was the viewers job to interpret the many pieces that are associated with cultural statements and popular idioms, such as Bonoma Faita's images featured below. All in all I was impressed by the understated simplicity of the message transmitted. Even in the images I could not immediately understand, due mostly to a lack of cultural or historical basis, the compositions were intriguing nonetheless.


After the opening we all walked to a nearby restaurant for an Italian feast. It was interesting to sit at a table and talk to the gallery owner and several artists. The conversations and wine flowed throughout the next few hours, ranging from subject and vintage. What was perhaps most captivating was that no one was discussing the work. This was the art world I loved. Unassuming and fun.

* Unfortunately I did not have my camera for the exhibition opening, so these images were taken from a book published by Franco Toselli:

Bonomo Faita and Franco Toselli, Fuga Per un Picnic (Milan: Galleria Toselli Milano, 2010): 20-21; 26-27; 62-63.

Busy Busy Art Week!

The art season is in full bloom!  Wow, am I exhausted! 

I have a jam-packed week of art that I am right in the middle of and its kicking my butt! 


Last Saturday I left to go help install the exhibition  Los juguetes de los Vanguardias / Toys of the Avant-Garde at the Museo Picasso Málaga with my job and I was also able to check out a couple of other culture-filled tourist stops (pics to come). I had a great time and met so many people from the art world, but alas I had to travel back to Italy. 


Although I returned primarily to get back to office work, I also needed to get a wardrobe change. From the warm weather in Málaga, Spain, I am headed to the chilly weather of Berlin, Germany. Thanks to a great friend from Dallas, I was hooked up with a pretty sweet deal for Art Forum Berlin. If all goes as planned, you will be hearing more about this awesome person in the future.


So why am I so excited? Well, for 2 reasons.  Art Forum Berlin cators to a slightly younger crowd than Art Basel and also unlike Art Basel, I am representing myself, not my job. Oh and a major third reason, Berlin is supposed to be the mecca of the contemporary art scene, so I am excited to see the art that pushes the boundaries. 


To end this wonderful week (err, 10 days), I am going to Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, Italy to see L'Elisir  D'Amour when I return! I feel a little guilty that I get to enjoy so much art in so many cities! 


So be ready to get many posts in the next few weeks, hopefully it will make up for my academic sabbatical in September! 

Events: ArtsPark

I'm back!


My thesis is done, turned in, and I am ready to get back to the art blog world. I have a lot of events to catch you up on, like the Stresa Festival and a recent gallery visit. But, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a great event happening in Dallas, Texas today and tomorrow (October 1st and 2nd). 


ArtsPark is an event that stresses exactly what I have been trying to say all along, if you mix art with free, people will get involved. Art and Seek's Anne Bothwell describes it perfectly "One hundred arts groups. One day. One-stop shopping for culture at North Park Mall." 


ArtsPark is the brainchild of the the Northpark Center and the Business Council for the Arts. What better way to get people in Dallas interested, than sponsoring an event at a Mall. As a Dallas girl and I know just how much we, men and women alike, LOVE to shop in that city.


So what is ArtsPark? Well its much like a college or career fair, in that ArtsPark highlights the many diverse art centers and associations in North Texas by giving then booth space. So you walk around and pick up information on the various art groups. The goal is that you will hopefully find one that interests you and become involved.  


So venture out there on Friday if you want to dip your toes in the cultural scene and experience some FREE performances and then return on Saturday to sign up to volunteer at one of the great art groups in North Texas. 


This is your chance to get involved in the arts in a pretty safe environment. Shop around for the art organization that suits your interest and your comfort level. 


For those of you in the area, here is a bit of homework: go and tell me how it was. I am pretty bummed that I am missing out on an event that practices everything I preach!