21 – 24 January 2021
(mostly longer)
www.artefiera.it
Due to the pandemic, also this year’s Bolognese art fair had to change its format, like many others. The digital initiative of the Arte Fiera “PLAYLIST” is not meant to be a selling show transferred to the internet, but a virtual meeting-space in contemporary culture. Hence, the title PLAYLIST as proposal in form of a “favourites list”. Divided in five sections, one could explore works from the MAMbo (Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna); discover proposed books; appreciate documentary films; follow online conversations and stroll through the participating galleries.
– IN MOSTRA (On view): Selected artworks of the MAMbo
– IN LIBRERIA (In the Bookshop): Ideas for interesting books
– IN SALA (In Cinema): Films on view at home
– IN CONVERSAZIONE (In Conversation): Talking about art
– IN GALLERIA (In Gallery): What’s on in the galleries?
IN MOSTRA (On view): Selected artworks of the MAMbo
For the last two editions, Arte Fiera had commissioned a large-scale artwork to be presented at the physical venue. This years’ chosen artist, Stefano Arienti made a virtue of necessity, anchored in his own oeuvre. He has chosen around 80 artworks from the permanent collection of the MAMbo (Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna), not sorted by art historic aspects, but rather oriented on forms or subjects. This allows a freshly new glance at the collection and is a tribute to the hosting town and the longstanding cooperation with the MAMbo for the ART CITY.
Online until 31st March 2021
IN LIBRERIA (In the Bookshop): Ideas for interesting books
Altogether 40 books were presented by eight personalities of the Italian cultural live. Every day of the Arte Fiera two playlists were published, each contained five commented books. The choices of the selectors includes monographs, books on applied art, anthropology, cinema, children’s books, novels etc. The recommenders are Luca Lo Pinto (museum director), Paola Ugolini (critic), Tiziano Scarpa (art-loving writer), Luca Scarlini (erudite polymath), Beppe Finessi (curator specialised in the history of design), Romeo Castellucci (theatre director), Cecilia Matteucci (art and fashion collector) and Elena Pasoli (manager of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair).
Online until 28th February 2021
IN SALA (In Cinema): Films on view at home
As practiced by many Italian cinemas during the lockdown, it was possible to view at 9 p.m. every evening of the Arte Fiera a documentary in full-length via online streaming. For this occasion, the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna offered four films for free, from its archive of over 70.000 films.
Gian Luca Farinelli, the director of the Cineteca, made the choice: Emilio Vedova. Dalla parte del naufragio, by Tommaso Pessina, 2019; La rivoluzione siamo noi (Arte in Italia 1967/77) by Ilaria Freccia, 2020; Fame, by Giacomo Abbruzzese and Angelo Milano, 2018 and Fifi howls from happiness, by Mitra Farahani, 2013.
IN CONVERSAZIONE (In Conversation): Talking about art
In the tradition of the Flash Art Talks in the physical art fair, PLAYLIST invited to four virtual talks. They were about the interdisciplinarity in art, links between fashion and art, Germano Celant and perhaps the most emerging: post-Covid scenarios in the cultural sector. In the nature of things, the online-meetings were held in Italian. However, for those who understand it and are interested, the talks are online until the end of February.
IN GALLERIA (In Gallery): What’s on in the galleries
While awaiting the edition 2022, hopefully once again in real life, the Arte Fiera presented all the exhibitors of the preceding show in 2020 to focus on their recent, present or upcoming exhibitions in their galleries. Moreover, the Arte Fiera Selection Committee invited 20 others to participate in this section. There were solo shows as well as group exhibitions, with modern classics, oeuvres of the 1970s and 80s and numerous very contemporary works. This choice reflects the partition of the physical fair, which is normally held in two halls, in general dividing modern art of the 20th century and the more recent.
Interesting was the choice to present physical existing shows of the galleries. Many of them included exhibition views, so one could get an impression of the hanging and also glance the locations of the venues. “In Galleria” will be online until the end of February.
Here some impressions:
