Articles by: M. T.

  • Vice President of Ierimonti Gallery, Cesare Luigi Caini
    Art & Culture

    Cesare Luigi Caini: Life of an Art Curator

    Cesare Caini has been living and working in New York for over 7 years. He curated exhibitions for artists such as Alberto Burri, Roy Lichtenstein, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miró, and Jasper Johns, among others. Caini began his adventure in the field of art almost by chance, founding his own gallery in Milan when he was young. He published numerous catalogs including L’Eco della Stampa and Top Graphic. Caini has also contributed to Afro Basaldella’s catalogue raisonné.

    What makes his work unique is being able to distinguish between original prints and fakes, and being able to recognize artists’ signatures, discerning which are fake and which are authentic. “In the world of printing (but also in art in general) over 50% of what’s circulating is fake. It’s lucrative for the counterfeiters. Finding someone who knows how to distinguish these works of art from one another is like finding buried treasure. It’s extremely rare to find an expert because it’s an incredibly difficult job. It takes a lot of preparation and experience” said Cesare Caini.

    When did you realize that art would become a part of your life?

    Initially in Milan, I was working for a company selling machine tools with my brother-in-law, who was a painter. One day, the space next to ours was vacated, and my brother-in-law proposed that we open an art gallery together, 'Studio 15.' I was very young, and I let my brother-in-law manage it with his experience. After a year and a half, I decided to stop selling machine tools, and I moved to another space to open my gallery. This is how I ended up adventuring alone in this world. I then met collectors and art lovers that began taking me around to fairs and important events like Art Basel in Switzerland. Mr. Galli became my mentor along with Luigi Rimondi. In the ‘70s, Rimoldi allowed me to meet artists like the Beker couple, Robert Morris, Morris Louis, Richard Serra, Sol Le Witt, Gilbert and George, David Hockney, Hamilton, Sutherland, Moore, etc.

    However, the meeting that became fundamental for me was the one with Alfonso Ciranna, a Neapolitan by birth but Milanese by adoption, a collector and seller of prints. He was the greatest expert on Italian prints that we had, and everyone would go to him, and now they come to me. He taught me how to distinguish authentic works from imitations and how to look at them in order to be able to tell them apart. He taught me about the differences in paper, printing techniques, and inks. Giorgio Upiglio, a printer in Milan, taught me a lot of the printing tricks!
     

    Was it from that moment that you decided to specialize in this sector in particular?

    As it’s said, la fortuna aiuta gli audaci (fortune favors the bold). When I began in the world of galleries, I started specializing in prints. I noticed that in Italy, through Alfonso Ciranna, nobody specialized in prints because it’s a very complex and difficult job. I then began following in his footsteps and studying because it’s a job that is never finished. Soon after, I also specialized in graphics and lithography. The first catalogs I “studied” were composed by Ciranna on Giacomo Manzu and Giorgio de Chirico.

    At that point, the range of my work began to broaden, and galleries called me for artistic consultations. Even today, when they need me, they still call me. In that moment of my artistic growth, I began to curate catalogs on shows such as those of Afro Basaldella, at the Museum of Modern Art in Udine.

    Do you have any stories for us?

    Many years ago in a gallery, one of my clients asked me for a consultation on a Mirò from 1934. I knew immediately that it couldn’t possibly be. I removed the frame, and I noticed that the paper was too white. And with art from that time, that wasn’t possible because the lithography is made from “greasy ink” and water. As the years pass, the fat from the lithography slowly permeates through the paper and goes through to the back. Additionally, if the back has an acidic backing, like cardboard or masonite, this further accelerates this phenomenon and transmits the acidity, which acidifies the paper. The color darkens and becomes a dark brown. Of course, the paper could have been washed. The correct time is “deacidified,” but that wasn’t the case with this work. It’s important to look, to have the eye, and to possess a deep knowledge.

    Why is it such a difficult job?

    Many galleries don’t have prints because they’re afraid of acquiring fakes, which are circulating in the market (almost half of the prints circulated are fakes). Competent individuals who are able to distinguish real from fake prints are extremely rare and heading toward extinction. Their young replacements lack experience, and therefore age. Young people can’t possibly have this experience behind them. How will they know the different types of paper, filigrees, the type of paper with the time period it was made in, the inks, the acids, etc… Paper made in the ‘70s can’t contain a print from Mirò, who was from the ‘30s. This is obvious, but identifying it, as opposed to simply being aware of it, is very difficult.

    Here in New York, a big gallery sold 10 Twombly prints with fake signatures, and I discovered them. I was able to get two back, but the other eight are around the world in the homes of collectors that don’t know, and perhaps never will know, that they are hanging fake Cy Twomblys from their walls.

    You’ve been in New York for seven years. What’s your role at the Ierimonti Gallery?

    My role is in curation: to organize shows, look for pieces, and go to collect them. We work with both public and private collections, so there’s always a lot of work to be done. I’ve curated shows by Alighiero e Boetti (April 2015)–one of the most important artists of arte povera. It was very important especially because we had some of Alighiero Boetti’s prints; Alberto Burri, one of the great artists of the informal avantguard. The Alberto Burri, The Subject of Matter (October 2015) was a more intimate show in respect to the Guggenheim’s Alberto Burri: The Trauma of Painting. These two shows were very important in the international field of Italian art. Among others I curated shows like Fusion | Prints & Jewels (2015), a group exhibition that emphasizes the graphic works of some of the most important artists of the postwar period. Featured in the show we had Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselman, Bruce Nauman, Christo, Edward Kienholz.

    How many collections have you curated between Italy and the United States?

    A lot. In Italy, some of the most important include, Fondazione Marconi Milano, Fondazione Sardi Torino, Fondazione Cavellini Brescia, Collezione Clerici Brescia, Lisa Panzera New York, Remotti Camogli (Genoa) Liguria. In New York, Fergus Mc. Caffrey, Francis Nauman.

    I often collaborate with Antonio Nogara–a collector for whom I curate works from Picasso, Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein–the Gladstone Gallery, Naman on 7th Avenue, and the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. I am one of the few people who can distinguish originals from imitations. There are very few of us. I’m able to recognize the difference between a false print from a real one. This is why galleries don’t have many prints. They’re afraid of buying fakes. Today, for every good work, there are two or three of them that are fake.

    Who is one of the artists that you admire most?

    The best printer is Kenneth E. Tyler, a a master printer, publisher, arts educator, and a prominent figure in the American post-war revival of fine art, limited edition printmaking. In Italy, we had Giorgio Upiglio, one of the great print houses where artists like Duchamp printed. I admire the work by Grafica Romero, an important print shop/lab founded by Renzo Romero and his wife in Rome in 1960, by Giorgio Upiglio Milano, and by 2RC in Rome.

    Click here to see the interview with Cesare Caini, which aired on NYC Life Channel.

  • Art & Culture

    For the Best Storytellers: Piccolo Cafe Award - Fabrizio Alessandrini

    When the experience of photography was different: a camera strap around your neck, a generous dose of patience, carefully composed shots and those entrusted to instinct, and the days of anticipation before being able to evaluate the quality of the result. No notifications on a smartphone, no virtual albums to show off on social media, and digital consumerism still a long ways off. It was another era, you might say.
     

    But no: the emotions that a photograph–a moment in time fixed on paper–can inspire in us today are stronger and more special than ever.
     

    This is the idea behind the launch of the new exhibition/tribute-award “Goose Bumps Makers: The Best Storytellers – Premio Piccolo Café Fabrizio Alessandrini.” The exhibition's goal is to rediscover real photography in real-life spaces while building a bridge to one of the most “in” places in the Big Apple.

    At the center of the project are several young Italian talents, discovered through a careful search undertaken by creative director Simone Alessandrini and Piccolo Café founder Michele Casadei Massari. Massari is the heart and soul of the Manhattan eatery that has become a favorite meeting point for stars like Julianne Moore, Al Pacino, Uma Thurman, Susan Sarandon and Daniel Craig.

    The Piccolo Café will host the twelve exhibitions of the project, each lasting four weeks. The twelve young talents will present seven photographs apiece, each with its own story.

    At the conclusion of the exhibition cycle, the works will be donated to the journalism school of the New York Times, located across the street from the Piccolo Café’s 40th Street location. At the end of the year-long project, one of the participating photographers will be selected to receive the “Fabrizio Alessandrini” memorial prize, called “Tiramisù” for this year’s first edition.

    Why “tiramisù?”
     

    “’Tiramisù’ means ‘pick-me-up’ in Italian,” Alessandrini and Casadei Massari explain. “We want to give those who merit it the chance be ‘picked up’ and have an exhibition of their work in the most dynamic city in the world at no out-of-pocket cost. The initiative is aimed at non-professional photographers (that is, those who do not have their own studios) and brings the spotlight to images that tell a story, capable of communicating through their wordless art and evoking in the observer the “goosebumps” of the project’s title.”

    But that’s not the only reason for the name tiramisù. New Yorkers go wild for the Italian dessert. In addition, this year’s prize will be represented by the unique trophy of an antique camera preserved in clear lacquer–immersed and then “picked up” into its new form!
     

    The “Fabrizio Alessandrini” prize is dedicated to the memory of a man who had photography in his heart and soul, a loving husband and father who passed away in 2002 at the age of only 36, four years after being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

    Holding on tight to life despite everything, Alessandrini was among the first to “digitalize” the experience of ALS, putting Italian sufferers of the disease in contact with others around the world through the web, in a time when the internet was still an unfamiliar landscape for many.

     
  • Events

    See Italian: Vision Expo East Show 2017

    For many years, the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) has been supporting the presence of Italian businesses at the show through its sponsorship of the Italy Pavilion. Their goal is to increase the presence of these businesses in the American market. During Vision Expo East 2017, at the Javits Center from March 31 to April 2, it is possible to see and to learn more about some of the Italian businesses that work in the optical industry.

    Organized by the Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with ANFAO (Associazione Nazionale Fabbricanti Articoli Ottici) the Italian pavillion presents over 20 brands such as Epos, Hapter, Gufo, Avalan, Avalon Emporium Vista, Optical Design, and many more.

    Eyewear has become a key fashion accessory. Eyeglasses were traditionally worn by people with vision problems; however, now they’re also worn by people who have normal vision but who simply want to change their look and match their glasses to the rest of their attire.

    Italy is the second largest provider of eyewear in the United States. According to the data released by the US Department of Commerce, 2016 marked a year of growth for the Italian eyewear industry. Total exports of Italian eyewear in the United States reached 1.01 billion dollars with a positive growth of 5.0% in respect to the previous year.

    Prospects in the United States remain positive with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that is estimated to be 3% of the sales value in 2016. The need for eyeglasses is expected to rise as consumers continue to use more digital technology.

    For more information, please click here.

    *The ICE- Italian Trade Commission is the government organization that promotes the internationalization of Italian companies, in line with the strategies provided by the Ministry for Economic Development. ICE provides information, support, and advice to Italian and foreign companies.

    *ANFAO was born in Milan in 1954 from a group of industrialists who decided to group the sector’s companies into an association adhering to Confindustria. Today, the association, which includes over 100 member businesses, unites all the main Italian eyewear companies in the entire production chain.

  • Art & Culture

    Mimmo Rotella: Selected Early Works

    Domenico "Mimmo" Rotella, (Catanzaro, 7 October 1918 – Milan, 8 January 2006), was an Italian artist considered an important figure in post-war European art. Best known for his works of décollage and psychogeographics, made from torn advertising posters. He was associated to the Ultra-Lettrists an offshoot of Lettrism and later was a member of the Nouveau Réalisme, founded in 1960 by the art critic Pierre Restany.

    Following his return to Rome from a residency at Kansas City University in 1952, Rotella consciously abandoned abstract painting as his primary form of expression. Stirred by the presence of movie and advertising posters around the city – and inspired by a cadre of other artists in the Italian capital at this time, such as Alberto Burri, Robert Rauschenberg, Salvatore Scarpitta, and Cy Twombly – Rotella began to rip banners and placards from walls and utilize them as the source material for his now-notorious assemblages.

    These works take two distinct forms: in the décollages, Rotella piled and glued advertisements face-up before tearing away and incising individual layers, thereby creating intentional and accidental expressionist juxtapositions of bold words, pop cultural images, and various hues. By contrast, the artist’s retro d’affiches, using only the posters’ often-untouched versos, showcase a concern with materiality à la Art Informel, as evidenced by the visible traces of glue, rust, plaster, and dust present in these compositions.

    Hardly a veneration of popular tastes, Rotella’s works collapse any semblance of cultural hierarchy onto itself. Famous actors and consumer products all receive equal billing in the artist’s arrangements. Similar to his American Pop Art counterparts, Rotella’s excavation of wide-ranging social figures roots the décollages in the time of their creation, while simultaneously underscoring the ephemerality of the present moment.

    Mimmo Rotella was born in 1918 in Catanzaro, Italy, and passed away in 2006 in Milan. Over the course of his career, Rotella was the subject of solo and group exhibitions at many international institutions, including: Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Nice; Musée Tinguely, Basel; Kunsthaus Zürich; Palazzo Grassi, Venice; and Palazzo Reale, Milan. Rotella’s works are held in numerous prominent public collections worldwide, including: Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Monderna e Contemporanea, Rome; Galleria Civica di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; De Menil Collection, Houston; Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna; National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; Staatgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany; and Tate Gallery, London.

    This exhibition is realized in collaboration with the Mimmo Rotella Institute. Established in 2012 by Inna and Aghnessa Rotella, the Institute aims to promote and preserve the art of Mimmo Rotella both in Italy and abroad. Rotella’s heirs appointed Germano Celant to edit the artist’s multi-volume catalogue raisonné, of which the first volume was recently published.

    In conjunction with the exhibition, Gladstone Gallery has published a catalogue with essays by Antonella Soldaini and Veronica Locatelli, both of the Mimmo Rotella Institute.

    For more information of the exhibition >>>

  • Art & Culture

    Jewels in Ferment: European contemporary jewelry

    Gioielli in Fermento is a competition open to professional goldsmiths, designers, as well as established and emerging jewelry artists. The competition consists of creating and exhibiting a unique piece of jewelry inspired by a specific theme. The theme changes every year, but is always related to the world of wine. The results are an impressive array of color, forms, and concepts that are unique to Gioielli in Fermento.

    An invitation-only opening will take place on Thursday, October 20th at 6pm. During this time, Torre Fornello, a winery estate based in Valtidone on the border between Emilia, Lombardy and Piedmont Italian regions, will offer a tasting of their finest wines.

    Participating Artists:

    Silvia Beccaria, Maura Biamonti, Sébastien Carré (France), Nicoletta Dal Vera, Corrado De Meo, Clara Del Papa (Venezuela), Ylenia Deriu, (Colombia), Maria Rosa Franzin, Nicoletta Frigerio, Akis Goumas (Greece), Ria Lins (Belgium), Chiara Lucato, Gigi Mariani, Stefano Rossi, Kika Rufino (Brazil), PeggyArte, Sergio and Stefano Spivach, Eva Tesarik (Austria)

    Catalog:
    2016 and 2015 editions of the GIF catalog will be available onsite.

    About Torre Fornello, Italy:

    Enrico Sgorbati has been in charge of the Torre Fornello family winery since 1992. The first vintage was produced by Torre Fornello in 1998. The winery is focused on high quality production utilizing native vines, and is located in Valtidone, the geological area of “old red soils”. It is here that nature created lands with a climate ideal for the vines that have been cultivated since ancient roman times.

    The winery cultivates its vines partly under a biological scheme and partly under a low environmental impact program which is both beneficial for the countryside and the health of the population.

    Torre Fornello Azienda Agricola

    Fornello di Ziano Piacentino

    T. (+39) 0523 861001

    About The Gallery at Reinstein|Ross

    The Gallery at Reinstein|Ross was founded as a unique, New York City venue, to exhibit progressive work in studio art jewelry, as well as fine arts related to jewelry, precious stones and precious metals. Our mission is to bring international exposure to emerging and established artists, through promotion, education, and exhibition. The R|R Gallery presents regular group or solo exhibitions, and is interested in collaboration with other galleries, museums, and educational institutions.

     

    The R|R Gallery is housed in a storefront space at the intersection of New York City's fashionable Meatpacking District and the West Village. The space is connected to, but separate from, the Gansevoort Street store and workshop of Reinstein|Ross, Goldsmiths. Founded in 1985, Reinstein|Ross is committed to high-karat gold, distinctive gemstones, and classical goldsmithing techniques. Reminiscent of ancient jewelry, but distinctly contemporary, Reinstein|Ross jewelry is hand-fabricated to impeccable standards in their New York City workshops.

  • Uff. Joseph Sciame, President/Chair of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of NY, Inc.
    Facts & Stories

    40 Years of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee - NY, Inc.

    What is the mission of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee?
     
    It is the same as when founded, that is, to heighten public awareness of Italian heritage and culture. We engender pride in Italian Americans regarding their own heritage and encourage positive portrayals of Italian Americans in the media and with the general public. We carry on our mission in many ways. We coordinate sponsorship of programs that celebrate Italian heritage and culture; we promote the study of Italian language and culture among all ethnic groups, and of course we sponsor annually the Italian Heritage and Culture Month activities.
     
    What is its relationship with other major Italian American organization such as NIAF, Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Order of Sons of Italy?
     
    They support us financially, and we at the IHCC help them to coordinate, into one magazine, all of the many activities that take place from September through December, with the emphasis on the many programs in October. The magazine is underwritten by large donations from the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Order of Sons of Italy, the National Italian American Foundation, and others.  In addition, many Italian Americans support us as well with corporate donations and sponsorships. This year’s Magazine is some sixty pages and is very comprehensive; we will distribute some 7500 copies.
     
    What have been its major achievements?
     
    Well, for a full list I should refer you to our magazine, which is now available. But one major contribution by the IHCC is that each year we have a theme for the celebrations and produce a poster which, for the recent years, has been designed by our Artistic director, John Battista DeSantis.  Those posters are memorable as are the various booklets and the magazine that we are now producing. Furthermore, we have sponsored a concert in the Park at NYU, delivered symposia on a variety of topics, honored various individuals with our annual Leonardo da Vinci Award, and we have held ceremonies for flag raising a the Mother Italy Statue at the Hunter college Poses Park on 68th street.  So much has taken place over the last forty years!
     
    What’s the best Italian Culture Month that you remember?
     
    Each month is historic and noteworthy, but I feel that when we celebrated Christopher columbus in 1992, that was important for we saluted a true discoverer.  Columbus opened a New World and yet today we continue the fight to keep that day and weekend “our” day as Italians and Italian Americans.  Another memorble year was most recently in 2015, when we honored the Milan Expo and recalled the New York Worlds’ Fair some 50 years apart.
     
    What is the theme of this year’s celebrations?
     
    This year we are commemorating “40 Years Celebrating Italian Heritage and Culture in America.” We are also honoring the 70th anniversary of the Republic of Italy that commenced on June 2, 2016.  We are fully partnered with the Italian Consulate Geneal and the Embassy of Italy on all of what we do, and so the year is a double celebration.
     
    Any plans for the future that you would like to share?
     
    We have so much to celebrate this year — a RUBY year – our 40th!!! — that we have not turned that page yet!  So plans for 2017 will have to wait. But we’re always looking forward.
  • Events: Reports

    It Occurs To Me That I Am America


    Eight Italian artists and four curators speak to contemporary art in New York in an exhibit which casts a spotlight on artists and curators who, for all their aesthetic differences, have all spent years exploring the city in their work. The spirit of the show is embodied by Allen Ginsberg’s 1956 poem “America,” in which the Beat Generation guru ironically probed America’s post-WWII generation.




    This group of expat artists poses similar political and cultural questions about a country toward which they feel a belonging, even if by adoption only, as the Cultural Institute seeks to spark a conversation between them. Ludovica Capobianco, Alessandro Facente, Veronica Santi and Giulia Trabaldo Togna came together to choose works whose focus was unified

    yet diverse. The large luminous rooms on Park Avenue afford 360-degree views of these stylistically, linguistically, dimensionally different artworks.



    Like the more  descriptive creations of photographer Renato D’Agostin and painter Matteo Callegari. Or Arianna Carossa’s site-specific installation, which speaks equally to spectators and the space itself. Gian Maria Tosatti’s Polaroids, on the other hand, explore the relationship between architecture and visual art, while Maria Domenica Rapicavoli, Danilo Correale and Andrea Mastrovito make more politically engaged contributions. And Alessandro Del Pero revisits classical art. Variety exists among the four curators too, who have followed very different career paths. There are those who, like Alessandro Facente, take a more academic approach to art; others more closely involved in the market and the art gallery scene, like Ludovica Capobianco; still others like Giulia Trabaldo Togna who look at contemporary art from a modern perspective; and finally those who represent the more independent, less institutional side of curating, like Veronica Santi. 



    Italian Cultural Institute

    686 Park Avenue

    www.iicnewyork.esteri.it/

    IIC_NewYork/



     

  • Events: Reports

    Idaco: Italian Dance Connection

    Dance workshops, creative residencies, thematic roundtables, site specifics, dance performances and an opening event on May 24th at 6pm at the Italian Cultural Institute, 686 Park Av, NYC are included in the Festival week.  Events will be held in various locations; all dance performances are to be held at the Sheen Center,18 Bleecker Street, NYC. Performances begin on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30pm. Video IDACO 2015. Program below.

    “IDACO nyc,” founded by Vanessa Tamburi and Enzo Celli, is curated and produced by FLUSSO

    dance project in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute New York and in partnership with Vivo Ballet – Anabella Lenzu/ DanceDrama – Umanism - INSCENA Festival - Mare Nostrum Elements/ECS.

    The “IDACO nyc EXPERIENCE” May 25, 26, 27, 28 at 7:30pm at the Sheen Center, will present work dedicated to the innovative projects of Italian/international choreographers and artists. 

    The “IDACO nyc EXPERIMENT,” at 5:30pm on May 28 at the Sheen Center, will feature experimental projects focusing on young, emerging Italian/international choreographers and artists. The “Experience & Experiment” evenings will also include film screenings and intermission dance performances in theater-specific spaces.

    ITALIAN DANCE CONNECTION, “IDACO nyc,” is a platform for Italian artists visiting and living in New York, and for New York artists who want to take part in a dialogue with Italian culture, exploring and sharing their unique paths through movement, choreography and the visual arts. “IDACO nyc” seeks to encourage networking and artistic research between multiple creative resources, cross cultural boundaries and offer an artistic platform while cultivating a sense of shared identity. The organization hopes to create space for new collaborations and offer a supportive, inspiring and creative environment for dancers, movers, performance artists, video artists, musicians, and all creative people interested in the "art of movement."

    “IDACO nyc” 2016 has the theme ID-ENTITIES, focusing on the disorienting and stimulating nature of cultural, gender, racial, ethnic and class differences. “IDACOnyc” wishes to contribute to a better understanding of cultural diversity.

    THE “IDACO nyc” PROGRAM:

    OPENING EVENT – ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Tuesday, May 24 at 6pm will include a reception, program presentation, video screening and site specific performance. Italian Cultural Institute, 686 Park Avenue. Free and open to the public.

    “IDACO Nyc ‘EXPERIENCE’” – SHEEN CENTER May 25, 26, 27, 28 at7:30pm Caterina Rago Dance Company NY, DaCru Dance Company IT, FLUSSO dance project NY, KoDance IT, Laccioland Company  IT , Anabella Lenzu /DanceDrama NY, Silvia Gribaudi IT, Jennifer Muller / The Works NY, VIVO Ballet IT/US. AT INTERMISSION: Amaris Dance  NY, Evol – Gessica Cipriano NY - Parcon Project NY

    “IDACO nyc ‘EXPERIMENT’” – SHEEN CENTER May 28 at 5:30pmNoemi Di Gregorio and artists NY, Forza Malizia Dance Company NY, Khensani Mathebula & Dancers NY, KoDance IT, Lone King [Projects by Marissa Brown] US,  [VESSELS] US. AT INTERMISSION: Evol – Gessica Cipriano NY Mare Nostrum Elements/ECS selection NY; AT INTERMISSION: Evol – Gessica Cipriano NY

    DOCUMENTARIES AND FILMMAKERS PRESENTING AT IDACO nyc “EXPERIENCE” and “EXPERIMENT” EVENINGS: Luca Ciriello IT, AlphaZTL Company of Dinamic Art/ Vito Alfarano IT, Robero Casarotto / Operaestate Festival Veneto IT, Virginia Experimental Film US/ Coorpi IT.

    TICKETS

  • Events: Reports

    Beatrice Scaccia | Call the Bluff

    Always interested in randomness and repetition as an expression of human existentiality, Scaccia’s most recent work develops her personal investigation of identity, awareness and inauthentic existence, displaying characters suspended in a state of indecision between the mutual interaction or resistance, frozen in the incompleteness of their actions.

    Born and raised in a solid painting background, Scaccia’s study of the human figure reports elements of the Renaissance and late Eighteenth Century.

    A fragmented story emerges through the almost “frame by frame” sequence of Scaccia’s work, expressing the idea that repetition can also create a sense of instability.
    In her work identities, genders and ages are lost behind oversized coats, striped patterns and futile but unavoidable and unpredictable movements.

    Scaccia's work has often been described as “frames loaded with movement, coming from a missing film” and yet in these canvases, for the first time, there is a richer and more layered composition. It is like being in front of some overturned tableaux vivants where a group of overwhelmed performers are blocked in their movements and in their delusion-illusion of coexisting.

    Through a fresh and original approach, Call the Bluff reveals the unsubstantial, the unreality, the vacuum, and the pantomime.
    Paintings, drawings, and sketches are accompanied by an installation of ceramics by Japanese artist Toshiaki Noda.

    About the artist:
    Beatrice Scaccia was born in Veroli, Frosinone in 1978. She studied and taught in Rome, at the Academy of Arts, before moving to New York in 2011. She has worked as painter at Jeff Koons Studio. Her work has been the subject of solo shows in the United States and abroad. She has also been included in some group exhibitions at institutions and museums internationally, such as the National Cultural Institute, Seoul; The Crocetti Foundation, Rome; the Pan Museum, Naples, the Palaexpo, Rome and the Golden Thread, Belfast. She currently lives and works in New York.

    About Cara Gallery:
    Founded by siblings Irene and Marco Cassina, the two seek to promote a more global art awareness.

    The young and vibrant team offers up a fresh perspective on the art world.
    Hailing from Milan, Italy, the founders have experienced life and work around the world. They share the goal of fostering a more global discourse amongst art world denizens.

    The gallery is committed to seek out and support an ongoing intellectual and visual dialogue with contemporary artists. Presenting a wide variety of media, including painting, drawing, installation, photography and sculpture, the criteria need be solely work that is strong, engaging and relevant.

  • Events: Reports

    Eataly’s New Rooftop Will Bring You to the Italian Riviera

    “We want to tell you a story. One with the carefree vibe of vacationing on the Italian Riviera. We start in Rimini and Riccione, then travel up and down Italy’s beautiful coasts. Amalfi. Cinque Terre. Porto Ercole. Cilento. And we do it Eataly-style, bringing a fresh summery Italian vibe to our rooftop.”

    With those picturesque words, Nicola Farinetti, CEO of Eataly USA, describes his latest project 
    to open on Fifth Avenue. After the success of Baita (Italian for “Lodge”) this winter, the Eataly team is now replicating the Italian coast—north and south—with Sabbia (or Sand), built to resemble the beaches of the BelPaese.

    Hang out in one of its many “cabanas” and enjoy a carefully crafted menu showcasing piadine from the Romagna region and delicious appetizers like fish skewers and fresh fruit.

    The wine list is extensive, as is their list of colorful, summery cocktails, perfect for a day at the beach. Or on top of 5th Avenue. Bubbles abound too. Not just prosecco but high quality Italian sparkling wines like Ferrari. The whole affair has a playful, ironic feel. As Farinetti says, “It’s something we’re doing for ourselves, to tap into the creativity of our young team, which enjoys constructing, inventing, creating things.”.

    With Executive Chef Fitz Tallon at the helm, the menu will feature delicious, easy-to-eat coastal fare that celebrate both land and sea, includingGamberetti alla Bagnara (seared shrimp with bagnara sauce); Penne allo Scoglio (Afeltra penne with squid, shrimp, Manila clams, and white wine);Bombette (grilled steak stuffed with Caciocavallo); and Pesce Spada allo Beccafico (grilled swordfish with breadcrumbs, garlic, onions, Parmigiano Reggiano, currants, green olives, parsley, and lemon).

    We will also be partnering with Island Creek Oysters, a sustainable oyster farm anchored in Duxbury Bay, Mass., for an amazing oyster bar set up on the deck of SABBIA, where the oyster-shucking action in their signature ice-filled boat will heighten the coastal theme of the space.

    The full drink menu will feature a sea-worthy selection of 12 specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic refreshments, as well as an extensive selection of over more than 50 beers and wines. Signature drinks include the Hoppy Hour, made with Absolute Citron Vodka, fresh carrot juice, ginger honey, and lemon; the Limone-Jito, made with Kraken Spiced Rum, Meletti Limoncello, passion fruit puree, lime, and mint; and the Pesca Fresca, made with peach puree, rosemary, lemon, and sparkling water.

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