Simone Ciglia on Italian Art's Marginality in the US

Simone Ciglia, a curator and Career Instructor at the University of Oregon, discusses the marginal presence of Italian contemporary art in the United States. In an interview with Marta Silvi on Artribune, Ciglia notes that American knowledge of Italian art is largely limited to historical figures like Burri, Fontana, Manzoni, movements such as Arte Povera and Transavanguardia, and isolated personalities like Maurizio Cattelan. He points to positive signals from institutions like the Center for Modern Italian Art (CIMA) and Magazzino, as well as the Italian Council project by the Ministry of Culture. Ciglia recently curated the exhibition "La vita è un'altra cosa" at Fondazione La Rocca in Pescara, featuring ephemera from the collection of Gianni and Giuseppe Garrera. The show included a room dedicated to Joseph Beuys and works by Daniel Buren, Ketty La Rocca, Cloti Ricciardi, Carla Accardi, Daniela Comani, Yoko Ono, Mirella Bentivoglio, and Claire Fontaine. Ciglia moved to Portland during the pandemic and finds the American system stimulating, though he acknowledges its inequalities. He integrates Italian and American pedagogical models in his teaching.