Angela Vettese on Revamping Arte Fiera 2017: Quality, Compactness, and Cultural Programming
Angela Vettese, the newly appointed director of Arte Fiera, shares her vision for the 41st edition set to launch on January 27 in Bologna. This year’s event will showcase 133 galleries in the Main Section, emphasizing a refined design and a commitment to quality. To enhance selectivity, she has decreased the number of exhibitors and redirected the €100,000 budget toward cultural programs. Drawing inspiration from Frieze Masters, Vettese expects a heightened appreciation for craftsmanship, citing Richard Sennett's 'The Craftsman' and artists like William Kentridge. Essential elements for success include a stringent selection committee, a varied lineup of talks and screenings, and an experimental non-commercial section. Despite Italy's high VAT, she aims to draw international galleries while maintaining her positions at IUAV University in Venice.
Key facts
- Arte Fiera 41st edition opens January 27 in Bologna with 133 galleries in Main Section.
- Angela Vettese reduced number of exhibitors to improve quality, despite more applications.
- Vettese cites Frieze Masters as inspiration for mixing epochs and object types.
- She references Georges Didi-Huberman's anachronism and Richard Sennett's 'The Craftsman' (2008).
- Artists William Kentridge and Wael Shawky exemplify blending technology with manual production.
- Selection committee includes curator Roberto Pinto and art historian Maria Grazia Messina.
- Program includes film series curated by Mark Nash on Italian identity and video documentaries at MAMbo.
- Vettese directs visual arts course at IUAV with Joan Jonas and Antoni Muntadas, and a photography master's.
- New exhibition space at Palazzo Ca' Tron will open with a show by Irwin on clandestinity.
- Vettese's contract is annual rather than triennial for administrative caution.
Entities
Artists
- Angela Vettese
- Georges Didi-Huberman
- Richard Sennett
- William Kentridge
- Wael Shawky
- Roberto Pinto
- Maria Grazia Messina
- Mark Nash
- Joan Jonas
- Antoni Muntadas
- Irwin
- Raffaella Cortese
- Massimo De Carlo
- Pierre Bourdieu
- Ginevra Bria
Institutions
- Arte Fiera
- Frieze Masters
- Art Basel
- Frieze
- FIAC
- Artissima
- miart
- MAMbo
- Museo Archeologico
- IUAV University of Venice
- Palazzo Ca' Tron
- Isisuf – Istituto Internazionale di Studi sul Futurismo
- Artribune
- Mudec
- BolognaFiere
- Studio Lancellotti
- Studio Trisorio
- Galleria Niccoli
- Galleria dello Scudo
- Galleria Alessandra Bonomo
- Università di Bologna
- Università di Firenze
- Ministero dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo
- Gruppo Euromobil
- Comune di Bologna
- Istituzione Bologna Musei
- Museo Civico Archeologico
Locations
- Bologna
- Italy
- Venice
- Milan
- Turin
- Basel
- Miami
- Napoli
- Parma
- Verona
- Roma
- Firenze
- China