Italian Art, a Global Vocation in a Local System

Which contemporary Italian artists born after 1960 have gained greater visibility abroad, and thanks to which factors?
I would say there are some figures now firmly established on the international scene. Monica Bonvicini, for example, is emblematic: born in 1965, she has built a solid career between Italy and Germany, working on powerful themes like power and gender, with a strong installation-based language. Her constant presence in major European and American institutions is also the result of a life and career choice in Berlin, which placed her in a more open circuit.
Another important figure is Rosa Barba. Born in 1972, she has developed a practice that spans experimental film, sound, and landscape. Her strength lies in consistency and interdisciplinarity, which have led her to exhibit at the Reina Sofía, the Venice Biennale, and many prestigious museums. In this case, the support of international curators has also played a significant role.
Then there's Vanessa Beecroft, who managed to establish herself with a performative practice focused on identity and the body, and Paola Pivi, whose visionary and surreal installations are very well received internationally. Even Claire Fontaine, despite being a collective, has had significant reach thanks to a strong theoretical and political framework capable of entering French, German, and American circuits.
It’s also worth mentioning Arcangelo Sassolino and Marinella Senatore, who, with different languages—one more mechanical and material, the other participatory and social—have managed to gain visibility in European and U.S. contexts, thanks also to major Italian galleries with international presence.

Who, instead, are the artists who, despite having a solid practice, have not yet achieved adequate visibility, and why?
This is a delicate but important question. There are high-quality Italian artists who, for various reasons, remain confined to national or regional visibility. Francesco Arena, for example, works in an extremely refined way on the relationship between history, space, and memory, but his presence outside Italy remains sporadic.
Other interesting cases are Nico Vascellari, whose practice is visually strong, often bordering between visual art, music, and performance, and Alessandro Piangiamore, whose work is poetic and profound. The lack of gallery support capable of bringing them into international museums or collections means their presence outside Europe does not consolidate. In general, the limitation often does not lie in the quality of the work, but in the networks surrounding the artists.

Who, then, are the Italian artists born after 1990 who today show strong international potential? And thanks to what elements?
Among the younger artists born after 1990, there are some truly interesting names. Giovanni Vetere, for example, is an artist working with the body, water, and ecology, with a performative language that has already found space in Germany and international contexts, thanks to a language that resonates with today’s urgent issues.
Rebecca Moccia, born in 1992, focuses on perception and the relationship with time and spirituality. She has already exhibited at the MAXXI, the Quadriennale, and also in Asia, and is building a solid trajectory thanks to a coherent and recognizable research practice.
Giulia Poppi also works on plastic and organic forms, with a highly personal poetics that has found space in institutions such as MAMbo or the Sandretto Foundation.
Born just before 1990 is Giulia Cenci, who already has a solid international reputation. But these are just a few names. The young contemporary scene is rich, fertile, and deserves recognition.

Where do you see the main shortcomings of the Italian system in supporting contemporary art on the global scene?
The problem is structural. There are already initiatives from the Italian Cultural Institutes and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that support artistic promotion abroad through exhibitions, residencies, and cultural exchanges. However, there is a lack of an agency entirely dedicated to contemporary art, structured like the Goethe-Institut in Germany, Pro Helvetia in Switzerland, or the Institut Français, with specific funding and programs designed to accompany Italian artists abroad over the long term.
Residencies, which are fundamental for connecting artists to global networks, often lack adequate funding or depend on private initiatives without real state support.
Italian art fairs, such as Artissima or Miart, play an important role in the national scene and present very high-quality content. However, they still struggle to compete in terms of international visibility with the major global events.
Greater investment is needed, also at the institutional level, to strengthen their attractiveness to foreign collectors and curators.
There is also a problem of education and networking. Artists often do not come into contact with foreign curators, partly due to the lack of structured opportunities and platforms.
Moreover, Italian collecting tends to be cautious: it invests little in emerging artists, prefers historic names from modern art, or looks to the foreign market instead.

What would be needed, in your opinion, to better support Italian artists?
First of all, a dedicated public agency is needed, one that can support participation in biennials, fairs, and international residencies, but also translate and disseminate catalogues, texts, and interviews. It would also be helpful to build a network of Italian curators abroad who can act as bridges.
Then, tax incentives would be useful for those who invest in artists under 40, to stimulate more dynamic collecting.
Finally, Italian fairs should be strengthened to make them more attractive abroad, and public museums should be encouraged to multiply networks with international institutions.
Digitalization and communication in English are also aspects that still require greater attention.

The issue, in my opinion, is not just abroad. Even within Italy there is a lack of circulation and visibility. The Italian system is almost exclusively concentrated in Milan, Rome, and Turin. There you find the major galleries, the most visible institutions, and the academies most connected internationally. But Italy is much broader and more complex.
The South, for example, has an enormous amount of creative energy, but almost entirely lacks an ecosystem. Naples is an exception, thanks to foundations like Morra or the MADRE, but other cities like Bari, Lecce, Catania, Reggio Calabria, or Cagliari produce high-quality art without having the tools to promote it beyond their region.
Even in mid-sized cities like Prato, Bologna, or Bolzano, there are interesting institutions and residencies, but they often fail to circulate artists in a broader context.
Decentralized programs should be created, southern academies strengthened by connecting them to international networks, and residencies considered as real tools for integration, not just production.
Otherwise, we will continue to tell the story of Italian art through a partial and unbalanced lens.