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.

Basel Recap: Art Basel

When I entered the Art Basel building, I knew immediately that I was out of my comfort zone and my league. It’s true that I love art, but my first impression was that this fair was what one would imagine if the Uffizi in Florence became a department store for art. Sure the art was impressive; there is no questioning that. But for someone new to this type of fair, it was overwhelming. 

So I did what any good assistant would do and followed my boss around like a lost puppy. Boy, am I glad I did. Not only did I learn the fine art of selective ‘gaze-walking,’ but also I was introduced to more art people than I have word count to list. 

In my jaw-dropped, frozen state my camera skills became non-existent. I apologize for the lack of images; most of the shots I took were to capture the essence of the fair and not so much the art. However, I don’t think I can be blamed for this methodology. Let me explain. I returned to the fair a couple more times during the week. As you can imagine, once was not enough. Each time I just was not able to focus on the art. There were too many people talking too much. Not just talking, schmoozing. The art lost value in this setting. It was just a commodity. As some of the artist and gallery owners reiterated to me, at the end of the day- Art Basel is a giant sale.

The last evening of the fair, while at the Art Basel Finale and then at the Art Basel dinner, I spoke to several artists of my sincere desire to walk through the fair with headphones on. They all agreed that it was a terrific idea. But it wasn’t just the sound of networking that was distracting; it was also the lack of interest and respect for the art.

Despite these drawbacks, I have no doubts I will return to the fair again. Why? Because, where else can you experience so much art created by artists from so many locations around the world. Also, the art is great and if you get a chance to be VIP, then you do get a few hours to search the fair grounds without the mobs.

(1) Gagosian Gallery; New York, Beverly Hills, London, Rome, Hong Kong
(2)White Cube; GB- London, Central Work: Damien Hirst, Anatomy of an Angel, 2008
(3)L&M Arts; US-New York, Central Work: Tom Friedman, Untitled (School Chair), 1992-2010
(4)Matthew Marks Gallery; US- New York, Central Work: Katharina Fritsch, Madonnafigur/ Madonna Figure, 1978/2009

Gallery Exhibition and Event: Animators of Tomorrow

Animators of Tomorrow 

"Showcasing this year's emerging young talent"

The Sidney Cooper Art Gallery
Canterbury, UK 
January 9th - January 23rd 2010
Email 
Exhibition Website

The exhibition displays the work developed by over 500 children during animation workshops commissioned by Canterbury Christ Church University as part of the Creative Campus Initiate and produced by Anifest's 'Home Grown Talent', KRAN'S Riverside Project 'Home to Home' and over 50 schools in Kent.  The exhibition space at the Sidney Cooper Gallery was organized in a very inviting manner that showcases the children's work and illustrates the different stages in the process. The walls trace the path from conception to animation. 


I was lucky enough to experience the exhibition during one of the Cut out animation workshops, 'The Games Come to Town!' which took place on Saturday 16th of January. The children, with the help of two group leaders, created concepts, drawings, and animations of Olympic events in just four hours. It was incredible to see how quickly they were able to use the technology to put the animation together from simple construction paper cut-outs. These programs help to boost self-esteem among children and support the future of the new media arts. It was evident that the children were proud of their work and enjoyed the experience. 


Overall I highly recommend this event and exhibitions like it, because they are wonderful ways of engaging the audience. They also attract diverse viewers, from families to teens to the elderly. Exhibitions like these are excellent forums to learn more about art in a very relaxed and inviting environment! This a great opportunity to get entire groups of people interested and involved in the arts. 


So go over to the Sidney Cooper Art Gallery before the 23rd and check this out! For those of you stateside, museums and galleries are beginning to promote education events like these quite often. For example, the Dallas Museum of Art has the Center for Creative Connections, which hosts events in its creative lab throughout the year.