Arte Fiera 2024, gallerists' views on the 50th anniversary edition

Over 50,000 visitors, shared satisfaction, good feedback in terms of sales: the 50th anniversary edition of Arte Fiera in Bologna turned out to be one of the best in recent years. Confirmed, after last year’s return, in the traditional venue of Bologna Fiere’s pavilions 25 and 26, the Emilian kermesse, which as per tradition opens the year of contemporary art in Italy, made the most of the arrival of the director of operations Enea Righi who, after an initial year to get the hang of things, was able to work well alongside artistic director Simone Menegoi to give the Bologna event a new face, very much oriented toward the ultimate goal of an art fair (and that is sales), eliciting wide approval from the gallerists who attended.

The 50th anniversary edition of Italy’s longest-running contemporary art fair, which has been going on since 1974, was held from February 2 to 4, 2024, saw important returns from leading gallerists (e.g. Lia Rumma, Lorenzelli Arte, Franco Noero, Sprovieri, Apalazzo) and had a good number of first-time participants, with a total of 171 exhibitors who, on the whole, distinguished themselves by a sustained level of proposal. There was no shortage of contemporary art collectors, just as there was no shortage of sales from the early hours of the preview for journalists and major collectors held on Thursday. These are some of the feelings conveyed to us by the gallerists with whom we had the opportunity to exchange a few opinions.

Arte Fiera

Arte Fiera

Arte Fiera

Among the most satisfied galleries was the Milan-based Federico Rui Contemporary Art, present at Arte Fiera with a single show by one of Italy’s leading contemporary painters, Daniele Galliano, entitled It’s all over now, Baby Blue, like the Bob Dylan song: one of the best stands at the fair (we included it in our top 10 as well), which received a lot of praise for the quality of the proposal. “The fair in general went well. The public was very numerous and very interested in all four days of the event,” Federico Rui confirmed to us. “We presented a solo exhibition by Daniele Galliano, to whom we owe an early return to painting back in the early 1990s. Among the few ’painters’ to boast several solo shows in New York, notably at Annina Nosei’s in 1996 and 1997, and at Esso Gallery in 2006.” A satisfactory fair for Federico Rui also from a business point of view: the gallery’s heterogeneous clientele, from young collectors to more experienced people such as freelancers and entrepreneurs, appreciated the proposal by purchasing A New Man (an oil on canvas of 50 by 40 centimeters, moreover recently exhibited at the exhibition Italian Portrait Painting in the 20th Century at the Villa del Balbianello in Bellano, cost 4.500 euros, a 40-by-30 panel titled Come eravamo, 3,500 euros, and the more trande Constellation, 8,500 euros). By contrast, negotiations are open for two large formats: Grigliata, 150 by 200 centimeters, asking 17,500 euros, and Andrà tutto bene, same format, same price. “Halls 25 and 26,” says Federico Rui, commenting on the fair more generally, “are the ideal choice because they are easy to walk around and surrounded by natural light provided by the beautiful windows. This increases the pleasantness of the route, which was marked by an excellent quality of exhibitors and choice of works. I do not see any particular aspects to be improved, on the contrary... if Arte Fiera is defined as a sample fair or national popular fair, it should not distort itself towards conceptualism and research. Events of this kind are needed to accommodate an increasingly broad audience and not just an elitist one. Same for our foreignophilia: welcome the participation of foreign galleries, but let it not be the main objective.”

From Milan to Turin, good feelings also from Mazzoleni Gallery, which has been participating in major Italian fairs for some time now, and Arte Fiera is no exception. “A very positive feedback for this edition that marks the 50th anniversary of the fair,” we are informed by the gallery, “both towards the Modern, particularly with Agostino Bonalumi (sold the two works presented), and towards the Contemporary with Marinella Senatore (light sculptures, collage), Andrea Francolino, Rebecca Moccia, Melissa McGill and David Reimondo to whom we will dedicate a solo exhibition next March 21.”

Appreciation with reservations from Frediano Farsetti Gallery in Milan: “The fair overall went well,” he lets us know, although “we found a lack of foreign clients compared to other editions.” Those, on the other hand, who express full satisfaction is the Roman Francesca Antonini Arte, which participated with two stands, one dedicated to the works of Bolognese painter Rudy Cremonini, born in 1981 but now among the established names of Italian painting (he was among the protagonists of the Pittura XXI section, which is very young, since it has been held for only five editions, but very popular with collectors, gallerists and the public), and one in the Main Section where the works of another painter, Alice Faloretti, a 32-year-old from Brescia, were presented. “The fair went very well,” Francesca Antonini lets us know. “It was very lively and with an interested and attentive audience. We sold a lot, with figures between 2,000 and 12,000 euros. We rediscovered some collections we already knew but we also acquired new ones from abroad (Paris, London and Stockholm). So, overall, we are extremely satisfied.”

Vigato Gallery, which was present among the booths dedicated to the proposal on modern, also expresses its appreciation. “We can say with pleasure,” they inform us, “that the fair was very well visited and many interesting contacts were made. It was a beautiful 50th edition. We applaud the wonderful communication carried out by Arte Fiera.”

Among the debutant galleries was the Neapolitan Acappella, also among the protagonists of the Pittura XXI section with a stand all for the young Neapolitan Claudio Coltorti, who was much appreciated by the critics (Acappella’s stand is also in the top 10 of Finestre sull’Arte), to the point of having won a place at the Osvaldo Licini Prize, dedicated to Italian painting (by tradition, in fact, one of the five finalists of the prize is chosen precisely at Arte Fiera). “We are taking part in Arte Fiera for the first time, we have never attended the fair even as visitors,” says the gallery, which among the positive aspects lists "a very promising preview Thursday with a very good turn out of people, a suitable venue and a great fair venue also because of the beautiful light that filters through the ceiling and makes the stay in the pavilions pleasant.“ There is, however, no shortage of things to revise, for example, ”the often cracked booth panels (not for a big fair),“ while another negative aspect is identified in the layout, ”both the general one a bit scattered and that of our booth, which was too far away from the hot spots that just happened to favor some real ’plazas/galleries’ instead.“ Still, there is satisfaction with the feedback: ”Our best result was being awarded as finalists of the Licini Prize with the artist Claudio Coltorti (the only artist presented) who, with a beautiful motivation, was judged worthy of competing in the final selections to be held later.“ Not bad sales either: ”We sold some works but only a few small ones, ranging from 800 to 2,500 euros."

Finally, positive opinion also from one of the most experienced galleries, the Venetian Michela Rizzo, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary this year and who already has other editions of the Bolognese kermesse behind her. “The fair went reasonably well,” the owner tells us. “We started brilliantly on the first day, then finished less. I’ll preface this by saying that we had skipped the last edition, so compared to 2022 it not only improved but, I would say, we saw an abysmal difference. Very good of the organizers and the curator to rise from the abyss. The fair was well set up, quality booths and collectors happy with the reception they received.” Aspects for improvement? None really, but if anything, “I would say that the team,” says Michela Rizzo, “needs to continue on this path by involving additional important galleries.” As for business, “we have been selling at a price range of 3,000 to 12,000 euros for now,” Michela Rizzo concludes, “then maybe something will happen in the next few days: we have reached new collectors with whom we hope to get to know better. All Italians at any rate.”

There was, of course, no shortage of less than enthusiastic comments: for some exhibitors the fair did not go as they would have liked, but then again, there is no fair that can satisfy everyone equally. This year, however, the comments were mostly positive. In the end, after all, what gallerists ask from a fair is mainly one thing: to have an environment that is conducive to sales. According to operations director Enea Righi, the success also lies in fostering an “empathetic climate”: Arte Fiera remains a fair that is very much geared toward the public and Italian collectors, and there is actually a different climate here than at an Artissima or a Miart, for instance.

A kind of reference point for the whole Italian movement, one might say, and it is therefore good that recent governance choices have helped to revive a fair that was getting a bit lost. Now, therefore, those who buy art (but also those who are simply interested in learning about what is new) know that Bologna, too, with its identity, if it does not chase other fairs that offer a different proposal, is, and can certainly remain, an appointment from which it is difficult to ignore.

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