Bucharest Museum Honors Gallerist Ileana Sonnabend with Arte Povera Show
The National Museum of Art of Bucharest is showcasing "Ileana Sonnabend & Arte Povera," marking the first international exhibition honoring the renowned gallerist in her birthplace. Curated by art historian Ilaria Bernardi, this exhibition will be on display until September 22 and highlights Sonnabend's crucial influence in advancing Italian Arte Povera artists. Born in Bucharest in 1914, she relocated to New York with her first husband, Leo Castelli, in 1939, and co-founded a significant gallery in 1957. After her divorce, she returned to Europe with her second husband, Michael Sonnabend, establishing the Sonnabend Gallery in Paris (1962) and New York (1970). The exhibition includes notable pieces from the 1960s-70s by artists like Giovanni Anselmo and Michelangelo Pistoletto, featuring Pistoletto's "Due uomini in camicie" (1963) and "Ragazza che cammina" (1966). The show also pays tribute to Mario Schifano, the first Italian artist she showcased. Sonnabend passed away in Manhattan in 2007 at the age of 93.
Key facts
- First international exhibition dedicated to Ileana Sonnabend in her hometown Bucharest
- Exhibition titled 'Ileana Sonnabend & Arte Povera' at National Museum of Art of Bucharest
- Curated by Ilaria Bernardi, contemporary art historian specializing in postwar Italian art
- Runs until September 22, 2024
- Focuses on Sonnabend's relationship with Arte Povera artists
- Features works by Giovanni Anselmo, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Giulio Paolini, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Gilberto Zorio
- Key works include Pistoletto's 'Due uomini in camicie' (1963) and 'Ragazza che cammina' (1966), Anselmo's 'Torsione' (1968), Paolini's 'Apoteosi di Omero' (1970-1971), Zorio's 'Sedia' (1966)
- Includes homage to Mario Schifano, first Italian artist exhibited by Sonnabend
- Sonnabend born in Bucharest in 1914, died in Manhattan in 2007
- Married Leo Castelli in 1933, moved to New York in 1939, co-founded gallery in 1957
- Married Michael Sonnabend in 1961, opened Sonnabend Gallery in Paris (1962) and New York (1970)
Entities
Artists
- Ileana Sonnabend
- Ilaria Bernardi
- Giovanni Anselmo
- Pier Paolo Calzolari
- Jannis Kounellis
- Mario Merz
- Giulio Paolini
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Gilberto Zorio
- Mario Schifano
- Leo Castelli
- Michael Sonnabend
Institutions
- National Museum of Art of Bucharest
- Sonnabend Gallery
Locations
- Bucharest
- Romania
- Manhattan
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Rome
- Italy