Francesco Vezzoli's 'Party Politics' at Fondazione Giuliani in Rome

Francesco Vezzoli presents 'Party Politics', a photographic exhibition at Fondazione Giuliani in Rome from April 15 to July 19, 2019. The show, part of the Grand Tour Contemporaneo initiative, features archival photographs mostly from the 1980s, tracing the decline of Italian politicians from committed radicals to a hedonistic caste. The exhibition explores the intertwining of politics and spectacle, a theme echoed in the introductory text by journalist Michele Masneri, who quotes Gore Vidal: 'politics is show business for ugly people'. Masneri argues that Italian politics has always been about entertainment, with success measured by TV ratings rather than policy outcomes. The Grand Tour Contemporaneo, promoted by the Comitato Fondazioni Arte Contemporanea, coordinates simultaneous openings at multiple foundations across Italy during the Venice Biennale (May 11 to November 24, 2019). Participating foundations include Fondazione Baruchello, Fondazione Brodbeck, Fondazione Merz, Nomas Foundation, Palazzo Grassi – Punta della Dogana, Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Fondazione Pistoletto Onlus, Fondazione Antonio Ratti, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, and Fondazione Spinola Banna per l’Arte.