Lorenzo Marini buys ad pages to self-promote his GNAM installation

Lorenzo Marini, an artist with a background in advertising, purchased a full-page advertisement in Corriere della Sera on November 24 to promote his installation "Futurpioggia" at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (GNAM) in Rome, part of the exhibition "Il Tempo del Futurismo." The ad features a critical text by GNAM director Cristina Mazzantini and includes logos of the Ministry of Culture, the Italian Museums network, and GNAM's own logo designed by Marini. This self-promotional move is considered gauche in the art world, where artist promotion is typically mediated by galleries and institutions. The ad is the only paid promotion for the exhibition, as GNAM did not run an institutional campaign. Marini's action follows his earlier design of GNAM's new logo and his inclusion in the show, which curator Gabriele Simongini had previously suggested was not a full part of the exhibition. Critics, including Artribune editor Massimiliano Tonelli, condemn the practice as lacking artistic dignity and violating unwritten rules of the art world.