Arte Fiera: The Awards

Bologna, 17 December 2019 – The 44th edition of Arte Fiera, organized by BolognaFiere in Halls 18 and 15, will present five awards to be announced at 4 pm on Friday 24 January in the Talk Area.

The awards are: Mediolanum Art Building Padova Award for Painting, promoted and financed by Stefano Pirrone, Wealth Advisor of Mediolanum, to select a work in the Pittura XXI section to become part of the Casa Mediolanum Padova art collection; Wide Art Award by Wide Group (making its de- but at Arte Fiera), which will acquire the work that in the jury’s opinion best interprets the concept of interaction of form, colour, and space; A Collection Award (another debut at Arte Fiera), providing a “mini-residence” in which the artist will create a tapestry with master weaver Giovanni Bonotto; Rota- ry Award – now in its ninth year – for the most creative installation at Arte Fiera 2020; ANGAMC Ca- reer Award, celebrating the role and career of a gallery owner affiliated with Italy’s National Associa- tion of Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries, and specifically his/her cultural and professional achievements.

Mediolanum Art Building Padova Award for Painting The Mediolanum Art Building Padova Award (now in its second edition) focuses on painting, a me- dium poised between tradition and innovation, that in recent decades has witnessed an explosion of technical and conceptual experimentation, welcoming challenges posed by new technologies as well as by identity-related, ecological, and social issues. The Award will be the acquisition of a work exhibited in Pittura XXI, curated by Davide Ferri, a section making its debut at Arte Fiera 2020. The winning work will become part of the Casa Mediolanum Pa- dova art collection.

Jury Stefano Pirrone, Wealth Advisor Banca Mediolanum Luca Bertolo, artist Gianluca Ranzi, Chief curator, Mudima Foundation, Milan Riccardo Venturi, contemporary art historian and critic

Wide Art Award The Wide Art Award, created by Wide Group insurance brokers, focuses on emerging artists. It is ad- dressed to all of the works exhibited at the Fair – without restrictions on medium or content, but with a preference for cutting edge contemporary art – and will be assigned to the work that best interprets the concept of interaction of form, colour, and space: the same interaction that exists among Wide Group’s professionals, who exploit their different skills and experiences to offer their clients the finest insurance advice.

Jury Luca Morazzoni, Managing Partner Wide Group Chiara Bertola, Manager of Contemporary Art Department, Querini Stampalia Foundation Pier Paolo Pancotto, curator of La Fondazione, Rome, and of Art Club, Académie de France à Rome, Villa Medici Ludovico Pratesi, curator and art critic

A Collection Award The “A Collection Award” is a production award linked to a mini-residence: the winning artist (select- ed from those exhibiting at Arte Fiera) will design a tapestry to be created by Giovanni Bonotto, and will be present at the initial stages of its weaving. After its debut at Palazzo Barolo in Turin, the award is the second step of the “A Collection” project, curated by Chiara Casarin, which combines the search for young and successful Italian artists with the creative vision of new weaving techniques. To date, the project has led to the creation of 10+1 large and fascinating contemporary tapestries made with threads obtained from the processing of re- cycled plastic.

Jury Giovanni Bonotto, master weaver Chiara Casarin, curator of A Collection Diego Bergamaschi, collector Maria Chiara Valacchi, art critic, independent curator and art writer

Rotary Award The Rotary Award - now in its ninth year – is presented to the most creative installation at Arte Fiera 2020. The essential aims of the award remain unchanged: spread the love of contemporary art among young people and disseminate the Rotary’s principles of friendship and brotherhood among all people. In this edition, all of Bologna’s Rotary Clubs will participate in the Award as the Felsineo Rotary Group. Synergies have been confirmed with Rotaract and with the Free Academy of Caravaggio Studies “Francesco Maria Cardinal del Monte,” as well as the collaboration with Rotary International Distretto 2072 Emilia-Romagna and the Republic of San Marino.

The Award includes:

Rotary Award Arte Fiera 2020 to gallery Presented to an installation, or to the set-up by a contemporary art gallery in a stand of Arte Fiera 2020, that excels in originality and creativity. Not involving an acquisition, the award is addressed to all contemporary art galleries at Arte Fiera.

Rotaract special award to artist Financed by young members of Rotaract Bologna, it consists of a sum awarded to the artist or artists presented by the gallery that wins the Rotary Award.

Special “Andrea Sapone” award by Rotary Club Bologna Valle del Samoggia In memory of Andrea Sapone, one of the event’s organisers, a special cash prize will be awarded to the artist or artists presented by the gallery that wins the Rotary Award.

Jury Elena Del Drago, contemporary art critic, journalist, radio host Laura Moro, Chairwoman of IBC Istituto Beni Culturali Emilia-Romagna Claudio Musso, critic, curator and professor of contemporary art Paolo Nucci Pagliaro, Chairman of Academy of Caravaggio Studies Andrea Zarabini, Chairman of Rotary Club Bologna Valle del Samoggia

ANGAMC Award Instituted in 2017, this annual Award is assigned as decided by the Board of Directors. The first edi- tion awarded Carla Pellegrini (Galleria Milano) “for her extraordinary artistic and cultural promotional activity conducted with Galleria Milano since 1964 and for her active participation in the Association since its foundation.” In 2018, the award was assigned to Giorgio Marconi (Studio Marconi / Galleria Gió Marconi) “who since 1965, with his extraordinary work devoted to art and to the promotion of art- ists, has ennobled the precious profession of the gallery owner.” In 2019, the Award was assigned to the recently-deceased Pasquale Ribuffo (Galleria De’ Foscherari), “a person around whom the city of Bologna gathered and received the gratitude of the entire art community.”

The Award for the 2020 edition will be presented by Mauro Stefanini (Chairman of ANGAMC) in the presence of Arte Fiera’s executives. Bruno Corà (Chairman of the Burri Foundation) will talk about the career of the awarded owner and his gallery.

Arte Fiera 2020 will be held in Halls 18 and 15 from 24 to 26 January (preview: Thursday 23). The new halls are accessible from a single entrance: Ingresso Nord, with a shuttle bus service provided from piazza Costituzione.

DIGITAL KIT Arte Fiera 2020 www.artefiera.it Facebook @artefiera Instagram @artefiera_bologna YouTube http://bit.ly/11qM4ni Official hashtag #artefiera2020

CONTACTS Arte Fiera Press Office Sara Zolla | [email protected] | T. 346 8457982

Communication and External Relations Manager Isabella Bonvicini | [email protected] | T. 051 282920 – T. 335 7995370

BolognaFiere Press Office Gregory Picco | [email protected] | T. 051 282862 – T. 334 6012743