Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli to Open in San Lazzaro di Savena

The Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli, a new private foundation dedicated to 20th-century Italian art and material culture, will open in San Lazzaro di Savena near Bologna by early 2018, likely coinciding with the next Arte Fiera. The foundation, presented during Arte Fiera's Vip Program, aims to function as a public institution. It is housed in the former SimonGavina showroom, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1960 for Dino Gavina. The collection, amassed by Massimo and Sonia Cirulli since the 1980s in New York, comprises over 200,000 works spanning fine art, photography, design, posters, and ephemera, including pieces by Carlo Mollino, Osvaldo Licini, Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari, and Bob Noorda. Massimo Cirulli describes the foundation as a 'pirate ship' that will challenge academic distinctions between visual and applied arts. The scientific committee, chaired by Marco Sammicheli, includes only Italians living abroad. The foundation's mission emphasizes diversity and flexibility, targeting a broad audience with varied initiatives.