Arte Fiera 1976: When Performance Art Took Over the Fair
On April 29, 1977, Gabriella Cardazzo, co-director of Galleria del Cavallino, informed artist Alan Sonfist that Arte Fiera was discouraging live performances in exhibitor booths, suggesting instead that they be held at Bologna's Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna during the Settimana Internazionale della Performance. This decision came after the tumultuous fair of 1976 (May 22-30), which showcased performances by artists such as Hermann Nitsch, Heinz Cibulka, Geoffrey Hendricks, and Giuseppe Desiato. The Cavallino-Feldman program featured Alan Sonfist, Douglas Davis, and others, with Galleria del Cavallino likely producing four video works at the event. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Arte Fiera will present the exhibition "Praticamente nulla da vendere," highlighting these performances and their evolution to institutional settings.
Key facts
- Gabriella Cardazzo wrote to Alan Sonfist on April 29, 1977, noting Arte Fiera discouraged performances in booths.
- The Settimana Internazionale della Performance was curated by Renato Barilli at Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna in Bologna.
- Arte Fiera 1976 ran from May 22 to 30, 1976.
- Two pairs of galleries organized performance programs: Galleria del Cavallino with Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, and Pari Editori & Dispari with Studio Morra.
- Hermann Nitsch was expelled from Italy in 1974 after a performance at Studio Morra in Naples.
- Heinz Cibulka cooked in the Pari Editori & Dispari booth during the fair.
- Geoffrey Hendricks performed nude, sawing a log.
- Giuseppe Desiato staged a wedding procession inside and outside the fair.
- Other 1976 performers included Takako Saito, Franco Vaccari, Joe Jones, and Urs Lüthi.
- Galleria del Cavallino likely produced four video works during the fair: Lezione di design (Agnetti), Reading Marx (Davis), Un jour violent (Iveković), and The Bologna Tape (Sonfist).
- Arte Fiera's 50th anniversary exhibition is titled "Praticamente nulla da vendere": La performance ad Arte Fiera 1976.
Entities
Artists
- Gabriella Cardazzo
- Paolo Cardazzo
- Alan Sonfist
- Renato Barilli
- Hermann Nitsch
- Heinz Cibulka
- Geoffrey Hendricks
- Giuseppe Desiato
- Takako Saito
- Franco Vaccari
- Joe Jones
- Urs Lüthi
- Douglas Davis
- Vincenzo Agnetti
- Anselmo Anselmi
- Mario 'Piccolo' Sillani Djerrahian
- Marc Camille Chaimowicz
- Angelo Bozzolla
- Jimmy Boyle
- Sanja Iveković
- Dalibor Martinis
- Tom Marioni
- Rosanna Chiessi
- Peppe Morra
Institutions
- Galleria del Cavallino
- Ronald Feldman Fine Arts
- Pari Editori & Dispari
- Studio Morra
- Arte Fiera
- Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna di Bologna
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Bologna
- Naples
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Yugoslavia