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Arte Fiera 2024: Ten Architectural Works at Bologna's 50th Edition

festival-fair · 2026-04-27

Arte Fiera Bologna opened its 50th edition, celebrating its 1974 founding with a curated selection of ten works exploring architecture. The fair's venue was designed by Kenzo Tange in the 1970s, and a replica of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret's Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau (1925) now serves as a cultural space. Director Simone Menegoi called it his best edition. Featured works include Luisa Lambri's Opus Novum #6 commission at L'Esprit Nouveau, depicting details of Alvar Aalto's Santa Maria Assunta church and the pavilion itself; Christo's Wrapped series drawing of the Arc de Triomphe project; Marco Palmieri's 3PER9 photo series honoring Ettore Sottsass; Bertille Bak's UNTITLED, BLOCK N #15 drawings of a mining village; Mimmo Jodice's Attese photographs of empty spaces; Patrizia Mussa's hand-colored theater photographs; Margherita Moscardini's Innsbruck, Austria, 01.29.1964 drawing of a crowd; Giuseppe Uncini's cement and iron sculpture; Walter Valentini's geometric mixed-media works; and Elena Mazzi's Encounters video stills from Iceland.

Key facts

  • Arte Fiera Bologna celebrates its 50th edition in 2024, first held in 1974 with 10 stands.
  • The fairgrounds were designed by Kenzo Tange in the 1970s.
  • A replica of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret's Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau (1925) was built in 1977 and now reopens as a cultural space.
  • Simone Menegoi is the fair director.
  • Luisa Lambri created a new work for Opus Novum #6, photographing Alvar Aalto's Santa Maria Assunta church and the L'Esprit Nouveau pavilion.
  • Christo's Arc De Triomphe IV, Project for Paris drawing was exhibited posthumously; the project was conceived in 1962 and realized in 2021.
  • Marco Palmieri's 3PER9 series consists of nine unretouched photographs of hand-painted paper elements, arranged in groups of three.
  • Bertille Bak's UNTITLED, BLOCK N #15 depicts houses in a French mining village slated for demolition.
  • Mimmo Jodice's Attese series shows empty, uninhabited spaces.
  • Patrizia Mussa's Teatralità series features hand-colored photographs of Italian theaters including La Fenice.
  • Margherita Moscardini's Innsbruck, Austria, 01.29.1964 uses a red ballpoint pen to outline a crowd, leaving architectural voids.
  • Giuseppe Uncini's Architetture 2006 is a large iron and cement structure (150x110x20 cm).
  • Walter Valentini's works show geometric lines influenced by Russian Constructivism and 15th-century Italian masters.
  • Elena Mazzi's Encounters video stems from her residency in Iceland after a spinal injury, featuring whale skeletons and a church resembling a vertebra.

Entities

Artists

  • Luisa Lambri
  • Christo Javacheff
  • Jeanne-Claude
  • Marco Palmieri
  • Bertille Bak
  • Mimmo Jodice
  • Patrizia Mussa
  • Margherita Moscardini
  • Giuseppe Uncini
  • Walter Valentini
  • Elena Mazzi
  • Kenzo Tange
  • Le Corbusier
  • Pierre Jeanneret
  • Alvar Aalto
  • Ettore Sottsass
  • Simone Menegoi

Institutions

  • Arte Fiera Bologna
  • Caputocolossi Incontro d'arte
  • Antonia Jannone Disegni di Architettura
  • The Gallery Apart
  • Vistamare
  • Paola Sosio Contemporary
  • Ex Elettrofonica
  • 3B Arte Contemporanea
  • Armanda Gori Arte
  • Artopia Gallery
  • Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau
  • Santa Maria Assunta
  • Teatro La Fenice
  • Teatro alla Scala
  • Teatro San Carlo
  • Stykkishólmskirkja Church

Locations

  • Bologna
  • Italy
  • Paris
  • France
  • Riola di Vergato
  • Vicenza
  • Sabbioneta
  • Parma
  • Milan
  • Naples
  • Venice
  • Innsbruck
  • Austria
  • Fabriano
  • Iceland

Sources