Being Able to Engage Effectively with the Contemporary

In your experience, which contemporary Italian artists (living) have achieved the greatest visibility abroad, and thanks to which factors (e.g., galleries, biennials, exhibitions, curators, etc.)?
One can refer to various Italian artists who have achieved significant visibility abroad: on the one hand, artists directly or indirectly linked to Arte Povera such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Giuseppe Penone, Giulio Paolini, but also the protagonists of the Transavanguardia who, to varying degrees, have an international presence. Then there are exceptional figures, like Maurizio Cattelan or Rudolf Stingel, who represent our country in completely different ways, or artists like Paola Pivi, whose career is recognized across the board.
It is difficult to identify specific factors that account for the success of these artists; certainly, for each one it is a different mix of various ingredients such as: innovation in language, the importance of the Italian art system between the 1960s and 1980s, critical and museum support, and backing from major collectors and galleries.

In your opinion, which contemporary Italian artists have not yet achieved adequate visibility in relation to their artistic value, and what are the causes of this lack of recognition?
If it is difficult to clearly determine the reasons behind an artist’s success, it is even more complex to determine the reasons that prevent an artist from gaining international recognition.
Again, the factors are potentially endless and, in some ways, opposite to the previous ones: flattening of artistic language, lack of appeal, insufficient support from Italian curators/directors—especially those in prominent international positions—weak market support and resulting hesitation by leading galleries to invest, lack of internationally relevant museum institutions, lack of academies or educational paths with international standing.

In your experience, what are the steps and elements that favor the international career of a contemporary Italian artist? And where is the Italian system lacking in supporting contemporary Italian art on the international art scene?
I believe that being able to engage effectively with the contemporary—which may seem obvious, but really is not at all—is the key element that can support an international trajectory.
This is the indispensable starting point. And from here one can build a coherent path, in dialogue with the best that art has to offer, and with the players capable of enabling growth and maturation paths.