Klaus Wolbert, President of Fondazione VAF, Dies at 80
Klaus Wolbert, an art historian originally from Germany and president of the Fondazione VAF, passed away in Istanbul on April 24, 2020, due to lymphoma. He was born in 1940 in Aschaffenburg, Germany, and specialized in curating exhibitions focused on late 19th- and early 20th-century art, as well as the Lebensreform movement. His work emphasized modern and contemporary art, especially regarding Italian artists, and he authored several publications addressing art and politics, modernity, and sculpture from the Nazi period. His final book, "Scultura Programmatica nel Terzo Reich," explored Nazi ideology in art. In 2003, he was honored with Italy's Medal of Civil Valor. Since 2006, he had been at the helm of Fondazione VAF, which promotes Italian art and presents the biennial VAF Prize, awarded to Silvia Giambrone in 2020.
Key facts
- Klaus Wolbert died in Istanbul on April 24, 2020, from lymphoma.
- He was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany in 1940.
- He curated exhibitions on late 19th- and early 20th-century art and the Lebensreform movement.
- In 2003, he received the Medal of Civil Valor (Cavaliere) from the Italian Republic.
- He became president of Fondazione VAF in 2006 after retiring.
- Fondazione VAF promotes modern and contemporary Italian art through a collection, exhibitions, publications, and financial support.
- The foundation's collection is hosted at MART in Trento and Rovereto since 2000.
- The VAF Prize is awarded biennially to young Italian artists; the 2020 winner was Silvia Giambrone.
Entities
Artists
- Klaus Wolbert
- Silvia Giambrone
Institutions
- Fondazione VAF
- Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (MART)
- Artribune
- Repubblica Italiana
Locations
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Aschaffenburg
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Trento
- Rovereto