Alcuni spazi espositivi, il mercato e il collezionismo influenzano le dinamiche del riconoscimento

In your experience, which living Italian contemporary artists have achieved the greatest visibility abroad, and through which factors (e.g., galleries, biennials, exhibitions, curators, etc.)?

There are Italian artistic movements—such as Arte Povera and the Transavanguardia—whose protagonists are still alive and active. Having long since been historicized, their work is catalogued in comprehensive monographs and featured in all the art history textbooks taught in Italy and abroad. Among them, Giovanni Anselmo, to whose work I feel particularly attached, but also Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Giulio Paolini, and Sandro Chia. And then there is Maurizio Cattelan, a different case, who—through images that are simple but never simplistic—has gained international fame and recognition. I imagine he has managed to express—and continues to express—a need to visualize paradox, to impose an inverted reality, to convey accessibility through the power of evocation.

In your opinion, which Italian contemporary artists have not yet received adequate visibility despite their artistic value, and what are the causes for this lack of recognition?

I sadly realize that, so far, I have mentioned exclusively male artists. In Italy—and not only in Italy—female artists still face even greater challenges in being recognized. One example is Liliana Moro, whose work I have personally supported on several occasions through fruitful collaborations. She has yet to receive true international recognition. There have been important opportunities over the years: multiple biennials, Documenta IX in 1992, collaborations with galleries abroad, publications, magazine covers...
And even from these facts, one can sense that biography or chronology is no longer a sufficient criterion. Some female artists must wait until old age—after a body of work produced either in the spotlight or in obscurity, but always relentless and unwavering—before receiving proper national and potentially international recognition. I could cite the case of Maria Lai, for example.  

In your experience, what are the steps and elements that foster the international career of a contemporary Italian artist? Where is the Italian system lacking in supporting Italian contemporary art on the international scene? 

I believe the market and collecting heavily influence the dynamics of recognition, and some markets are more valuable than others, just as some exhibition platforms resonate more strongly than others. It is reassuring to be able to count on a substantial body of work produced over time (and potentially available), on the seriousness of a research path carried forward without pause or compromise, punctuated by moments that have captured the attention of a few—or of several.  And in this current phase of complete reassessment, there is an added element of international relaunch—an effective dynamic that has become widespread almost everywhere in the last decade. Otherwise, it is more common to receive recognition very early on. That said, an equally early maturity and motivation carved in stone are essential. If we were in Argentina, I would mention Adrián Villar Rojas as a luminous example. In Italy, I would name Roberto Cuoghi and Francesco Vezzoli—the former wrapped in the legitimate mystery of a secluded yet far-reaching practice, the latter dazzled from the outset by the notoriety of the distinctiveness of his popular research. In Italy, we now have a new and important tool: the Italian Council, which since 2017 has functioned as an efficient national and international funding and promotion program for Italian contemporary art. It looks to and takes inspiration from prestigious and paradigmatic models like the British Council or the Mondriaan Fund. I believe it is a significant asset for new generations. Allow me to conclude by stating that we would need more mid-career exhibitions for Italian artists—designed and curated in collaboration with international institutional partners. And I would like to mention Vanessa Beecroft—a special case, a tortuous path that absorbs other elements, with inner foldings, and still waiting for answers.