Rent Art: New Art Rental Service Launches in Sicily

Galleria Sudestasi Contemporanea in Ragusa is launching Rent Art, an art rental service, alongside the summer exhibition Ortigia in Mostra in Syracuse, Sicily. The project runs from July to August 2018, featuring over 300 artworks dispersed throughout the historic center of Ortigia. Two core exhibitions anchor the event: Lei by Mauro Drudi and Portraits by Andrea Ventura. Local businesses sponsor the event by renting artworks, which they can deduct from taxes. The rental fee is €150 per month for artworks valued up to €10,000 (1.5% monthly). Angelo De Grande, co-owner of the gallery with Ciro Salinitro, explains that the initiative aims to make art accessible to hotels, clothing stores, and professional offices at low cost, while creating a diffuse exhibition across the city. Visitors can follow paper maps or a digital map from the gallery's website. Art rental is common abroad but rare in Italy; previously only Noema Gallery in Milan offered such a service.