Garrera Brothers on Collecting as Poetic Struggle

Gianni and Giuseppe Garrera, a philologist/musicologist and an art historian respectively, discuss their collecting philosophy in an interview tied to the exhibition "La vita è un’altra cosa" at Fondazione La Rocca in Pescara. Their collection began with Piranesi etchings acquired from a bankruptcy sale in Rome, driven by a fascination with ruins and the fantastical economy of art. Over time, their focus shifted from books to visual poetry and feminist works, including pieces by Mirella Bentivoglio, Joseph Beuys, Matteo Fato, and Luca Vitone. They emphasize collecting as a form of "poetic struggle" against power and persuasion, favoring works that are free, poor, and dispersed outside the market. The exhibition presents a selection centered on art as disobedience and social intervention.