Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa Unveils 2018 Program in Venice

After overcoming threats of closure, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice has announced its 2018 program, emphasizing dialogue between the institution and the lagoon city. The foundation, established by Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa, supported young artists through ateliers at Ca' Pesaro 120 years ago. The exhibition "Atelier Venezia. Gli Studi della Bevilacqua La Masa (1901-1965)," curated by Stefano Cecchetto, runs until April 29 at the Galleria di Piazza San Marco, featuring works by artists such as Gino Rossi, Emilio Vedova, Tancredi Parmeggiani, Vincenzo Eulisse, and Guido Marussig. A second exhibition on May 20 will compare Venice and Florence, highlighting figures Riccardo Selvatico and Giovanni Battista Giorgini. Selvatico, mayor of Venice from 1890 to 1895, helped conceive the first International Art Exhibition, later the Venice Biennale; Giorgini laid the groundwork for Pitti Immagine in Florence in 1951. A summer show will focus on Venetian Spatialism, with 150 works from the mid-1940s to early 1960s by artists including Bacci, Tancredi, Vianello, and Licata, plus a section on Lucio Fontana. In September, Mario Arlati's informal and material-inspired paintings will be featured. The year closes with a photography exhibition curated by Maria Livia Brunelli, exploring the dialectic between photographic gesture and artistic design, accompanied by meetings with artists and gallerists.