Farnesina Collection Celebrates 20 Years with Paris Exhibition

The Farnesina Collection, founded in 2000 by Ambassador Umberto Vattani, marks its 20th anniversary with an exhibition at the Italian Institute of Culture in Paris. Fifteen works by artists including Ontani, Favelli, Bianchi, Garutti, Ruffo, Jodice, and Mancini are on view until February 18, 2020. The collection, housed at the Palazzo della Farnesina (built 1939-1943 by Enrico Del Debbio), now comprises about 470 works by over 250 artists, spanning Italian art from Futurism (Balla, Boccioni, Depero) to Transavanguardia (Chia, Cucchi, Palladino). Vattani recounted initial resistance, including from then-Minister Dini, who doubted artists would lend works. The collection grew through a loan formula (comodato d'uso). Curator Angela Tecce, a former MiBACT official, selected works representing multiple generations, with the exhibition's theme being the Italian landscape, both literal and metaphorical. The show is dedicated to Ettore Spalletti, whose work 'Montagna, Appennino' is included. In 2017, the collection won the 'Mecenati del XXI secolo' award for best public institution art collection. Recent acquisitions presented to the President of the Republic on July 24 include classics by Angeli, Burri, Campigli, Capogrossi, Greco, Marini, Paladino, Pascali, Pomodoro, and emerging artists like Oriana Persico and Luca Pozzi. Director Fabio Gambaro emphasized the institute's mission to document Italian artistic and scientific production.