Simone Menegoi Reveals Plans for Arte Fiera Bologna 2019

Simone Menegoi, appointed director of Arte Fiera Bologna in July 2018, has outlined his vision for the 43rd edition, running from February 1–4, 2019. The fair will emphasize Italian identity without provincialism, strengthen local ties, and enforce stricter gallery selection. Key changes include limiting artists per stand (max three for stands up to 64 sqm, six for larger) and offering favorable conditions for solo presentations, resulting in about one-third of stands being monographic. The photography section is curated by the Fantom platform (Selva Barni, Ilaria Speri, Massimo Torrigiani, Francesco Zanot) with an experimental, hybrid approach. New curated sections include 'Solo figura e sfondo' by Davide Ferri, featuring works from institutional collections in Bologna and Emilia Romagna; 'Oplà – Performing Activities' by Silvia Fanti with actions by Alex Cecchetti, Cristian Chironi, Cesare Pietroiusti, Nico Vascellari; and 'Hic Et Nunc' by Flavio Favelli, a welcoming installation. Art City 2019 boasts notable exhibitions: Mika Rottenberg's first Italian solo at MAMbo, Goran Trbuljak retrospective at Villa delle Rose, Thomas Struth at MAST, and Geert Goiris's first Italian solo at Palazzo De’ Toschi. Gloria Bartoli joins as vice director. Menegoi declined to discuss past mistakes, focusing on renewal. He sees Arte Fiera's identity as strong in modern and postwar art, with a revived contemporary focus.