Mazzoleni Gallerists on Tradition, Market, and Brexit

Davide and Luigi Mazzoleni, directors of the family-run Mazzoleni gallery founded in 1986, discuss the evolution of the art market. They emphasize balancing traditional gallery practices with modern pressures, noting that their museum-quality exhibitions are often only partially for sale to maintain curatorial integrity. The gallery operates in Turin (focused on the Italian market) and London (opened in 2014 for international reach). In London, they have staged retrospectives of Alberto Burri and Piero Manzoni, shown masters like Giacomo Balla, Lucio Fontana, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, and collaborated with international artists such as Joseph Kosuth. In February 2019, they present 'Equilibrium. Un’idea per la scultura italiana' in London, curated by Giorgio Verzotti, featuring sculptors from Fausto Melotti to Alice Cattaneo and Shigeru Saito. On Brexit, they express hope for a 'No Brexit' outcome, noting uncertainty has not yet harmed the art sector. They view mega-galleries as increasingly specialized and cultural, but prefer their intimate family approach. Art fairs, they say, are becoming cultural incubators but risk becoming too numerous. They advise young gallerists to pursue dreams but never improvise.