Collezione Maramotti Turns 10: Director Marina Dacci on Curating a Family Collection

Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia celebrates its tenth anniversary with a solo exhibition by Luisa Rabbia, 'Love', featuring ten works from 2009 to 2017, including a site-specific piece created during the artist's residency. The show is accompanied by a publication with a contribution by Mario Diacono. Nearby, Emma Hart's installation 'Mamma Mia!'—winner of the sixth Max Mara Art Prize for Women—will be presented, adapted from its previous showing at Whitechapel Gallery in London. Director Marina Dacci discusses the collection's origins, its relationship with the Maramotti family and Max Mara, and her curatorial approach. The collection, started by the father and continued by his children, comprises over 120 artists acquired over 40 years. Dacci emphasizes that acquisitions are independent of the collection's operational budget and are decided solely by the collectors. The collection focuses on three themes: the evolution of painting, the relationship between painting and architecture, and the artist's identity in the production process. Dacci highlights the importance of the artist at the center of the process and notes the collection's atypical collaborations with European institutions, such as an upcoming exhibition of Antufiev's works at Mostyn on November 17. She cites Alberto Burri's 'Combustione' as a particularly impactful work. Looking ahead, she advises herself to not fear being different and to serve art in the best possible way.