Fruit Exhibition moves to Palazzo Isolani after losing historic venue

Fruit Exhibition, the Bologna fair specializing in graphic design and independent publishing, will relocate from Palazzo Re Enzo to Palazzo Isolani for its seventh edition, scheduled for February 1–3, 2019. The move follows the loss of its historic venue in Piazza Maggiore due to reduced availability of subsidized days under a convention between Bologna Welcome and the Comune di Bologna. The number of subsidized days dropped to just 12 per year, excluding Fruit. Organizer Associazione Crudo secured the new venue, which is about half the size, likely reducing exhibitors from around 100 to about 50. The fair will adopt a diffused format, involving multiple city spaces, including Sala Borsa, which will host a site-specific installation by artist Cosimo Veneziano as part of the Cronòtopo project. The 2019 edition will focus on humor, a response to life's paradoxes. The announcement follows the recent appointment of Simone Menegoi as the new director of Arte Fiera, replacing Angela Vettese.