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13/11/2009

Italics

Museum of Contemporary Art MCA, Chicago

curated by Francesco Bonami

This exhibition, copresented by the MCA and the Palazzo Grassi, Venice, explores Italian art and creativity from the late 1960s to the present. It offers an unprecedented look at the artistic production of a country where cultural change has often been defined by the persistence of the past, revealing a deep sense of originality and vitality on the part of numerous artists whose work spans all media.

Whether embracing classical roots or breaking away from traditions, Italian artists active during the past forty years are at ease with the realities of social transformation. Reflecting the idiosyncratic paths carved by Italian artists and resisting the artificiality of groupings and movements such as arte povera, the project attempts to counter a tendency within Italian culture to curb individuality and experimentation.

Including work by more than 75 Italian artists, Italics is not just an exhibition about art made in Italy but, more importantly, demonstrates how these artists have forged new identities from deep roots blossoming in many different directions. This exhibition is guest curated by Francesco Bonami.

Italics looks at Italian art as a sort of train made up of different carriages, some of which have made it onto international networks, others of which have been sidetracked into the tortuous meanders of Italy's recent history.
The show does not limit itself to the representation of Burri and Fontana, Arte Povera and the Transavanguardia, all key parts of Italian art, instead it explores in depth the true essence of Italian artistic production over the last forty years. Altogether, there are more than 250 works by 107 artists, some of whom - such as Pino Pascali, Alighiero Boetti, Marisa Merz, Maurizio Cattelan and Vanessa Beecroft - have enjoyed international fame and success, whilst others - such as Fernando Melani and Maria Lai - have been at times unfairly neglected. The aim of this new Palazzo Garssi exhibition is to provide the Italian and international public with an insight into the decisive role played by tradition and revolution in determining contemporary Italian art.

Related Programs

Coffee and Art: On Maurizio Cattelan, led by Italian culture specialist Paola Morgavi
Saturday, December 5, 2009

Coffee, conversation and great artworks...what better way to start a Saturday morning? Experience it for yourself as you look carefully at works on view in the MCA's galleries. Then make connections to other artworks, histories and ideas as you take part in a relaxed, facilitated discussion that helps you think through the art of our time. Led by experts from Chicago's art community. No previous knowledge necessary.

Paola Morgavi, a native of Genoa, Italy, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of French and Italian at Northwestern University. Her primary interests include modern and contemporary Italian culture, art and architecture, and language pedagogy. She received her MA in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she collaborates with the education department as an independent researcher.

Curator's Tour: Italics: Italian Art between Tradition and Revolution, 1968-2008
Tuesday, December 8, 2009, noon

Tricia Van Eck, MCA Curatorial Coordinator and Curator of Artist's Books, leads a tour of the exhibition and offers insight into the kinds of cultural and artistic changes that serve as context for the artworks on view.

Italics: Italian Art Between Tradition and Revolution 1968-2008 is co-organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and Palazzo Grassi, Venice, Italy - the François Pinault Foundation.

Generous support for the Chicago presentation is provided by the Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson Foundation, Andrea and Jim Gordon, Nancy Lauter McDougal and Alfred L. McDougal, Terry and Cynthia Perucca, Sara Szold, the Kanbar Charitable Trust, and Marilyn and Larry Fields.

Special thanks to the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Chicago for its support.

Image: Maurizio Cattelan, All, 2008. Courtesy of Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York. Photo credit: Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria

Media Contacts:
Erin Baldwin tel 312.397.3828 ebaldwin@mcachicago.org
Karla Loring tel 312.397.3834 kloring@mcachicago.org

Opening 14 November 2009

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (MCA) is a private nonprofit, tax-exempt organization accredited by the American Association of Museums. The MCA is generously supported by its Board of Trustees, individual and corporate members, private and corporate foundations, and government agencies including the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The Chicago Park District generously supports MCA programs. Air transportation services are provided by American Airlines, the official airline of the Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Avenue, one block east of Michigan Avenue.
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