Giovanni Bonotto's A Collection Merges Contemporary Art with Tapestry Weaving

Giovanni Bonotto, fourth generation of the Bonotto textile tradition, and curator Chiara Casarin launched A Collection, a project that brings contemporary artists into dialogue with tapestry weaving. The initiative includes residencies, prizes, and exhibitions, producing unique tapestries using sustainable materials like recycled plastic yarn. Marc Bauer won the first A Collection prize at ArtVerona, earning the opportunity to design a tapestry. The project debuted at Palazzo Barolo during Artissima 2019 with works by ten artists. A Collection operates as a cultural association founded in 2020, but its roots trace back to a 2017 meeting between Bonotto and Casarin at the Musei civici di Bassano del Grappa. Bonotto's background includes creating large-scale tapestries exhibited at Museo Novecento in Florence, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and Centre Pompidou in Paris. The project emphasizes sustainability, with tapestries made from recycled plastic and natural fibers, woven on 1950s mechanical looms. A Collection also awarded residencies to The Cool Couple at Arte Fiera Bologna and to Christian Fogarolli and Guglielmo Castelli in 2020. The initiative is distinct from the Fondazione Bonotto, which focuses on Fluxus and visual poetry.