Fabriano Launches First Contemporary Art Biennale

Fabriano, the Italian city known for its papermaking tradition, will inaugurate its first contemporary art biennale on September 8, 2023, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of its UNESCO Creative City designation. The event, titled Fabriano Contemporanea, is curated by Chiara Zampetti Egidi with Matteo Boetti and Anne-Sophie Dinant, and runs until February 3, 2024. The theme 'Intrecci' (Interweavings) emphasizes collaboration between artists and the local community, with residents contributing to the production of many works. The biennale features 21 artists including Enzo Cucchi, Wolfgang Tillmans, Mimosa Echard, and Jonas Mekas, with site-specific installations across historic venues such as Palazzo del Podestà, Loggiato San Francesco, Oratorio della Carità, Cinema Montini, Museo Guelfo, Teatro Gentile, Pinacoteca civica Bruno Molajoli, Museo della Carta e della Filigrana, and Giardini del Poio. A preview on September 7 at Teatro Gentile will present a new chapter of JR's Inside Out project, featuring 86 portraits created by students from the Biblioteca Multimediale Romualdo Sassi. The biennale is part of a broader four-day festival, Fabriano Carta è Cultura, which includes music, art, film, theater, literature, and conferences on paper heritage and sustainability, held at venues like the Paper Pavillon of the former Cartiere Miliani and the Museo della Carta e della Filigrana.