Anna Valeria Borsari, Pioneer of Site-Specific Art, Dies at 81
On December 7, 2024, Milan witnessed the passing of Anna Valeria Borsari, an 81-year-old Italian artist celebrated for her analytical photography and site-specific installations. She was born in Bazzano in August 1943 and pursued humanities at the University of Bologna, where she completed her thesis on André Malraux. In 1970, she began teaching Romance philology. Following a health setback, Borsari redirected her focus towards family and her artistic endeavors, earning recognition for her photography and collaborating with galleries such as Studio G7 and Galleria del Cavallino. In 2006, she co-established Ar.Ri.Vi—Archivio Ricerca Visiva. Her prominent works include Donna isola e ponte (1982) and Spaccato urbano (1999). A solo exhibition of her art was showcased by the Museo del Novecento in 2021.
Key facts
- Anna Valeria Borsari died on December 7, 2024, in Milan at age 81.
- She was born in Bazzano, Bologna, in August 1943.
- She taught Romance philology at the University of Bologna in 1970.
- Her early work was analytical photography, shown at Galleria del Cavallino, Studio G7, and Galleria Schema.
- She co-founded Ar.Ri.Vi—Archivio Ricerca Visiva in Milan in 2006.
- She founded Percorso Vita in 1997 for psychiatric patients.
- Her site-specific work Donna isola e ponte (1982) was in the Reno riverbed.
- The Museo del Novecento in Milan held a solo exhibition of her work in 2021.
Entities
Artists
- Anna Valeria Borsari
- Ferdinando Mazzitelli
- Giancarlo Norese
- Marco Vaglieri
- Amedeo Martegani
- Luciano Anceschi
- Renato Barilli
- Alessandro Serra
- Diego Bertocchi
- André Malraux
- Romana Loda
- Mario Diacono
- Giovanni Maria Accame
- Adalgisa Lugli
- Claudio Cerritelli
- Omar Calabrese
- Filiberto Menna
- Roberto Daolio
- Giulio Giorello
- Elio Grazioli
- Angela Madesani
- Paolo Fabbri
- Gabi Scardi
- Emanuela De Cecco
- Anna Daneri
- Alessandra Pioselli
- Gigliola Foschi
- Francesco Tedeschi
- Giorgio Zanchetti
- Sara Fontana
- Iolanda Ratti
- Silvia Paoli
- Federica Boragina
- Giulia Kimberly Colombo
Institutions
- Galleria del Cavallino
- Studio G7
- Galleria Schema
- University of Bologna
- Alma Mater
- Ar.Ri.Vi—Archivio Ricerca Visiva
- Percorso Vita
- Museo del Novecento di Milano
- Biblioteca di Filosofia dell’Università degli Studi di Milano
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Bazzano
- Bologna
- Venice
- Florence
- Reno river
- Via Anfiteatro