The Rome Quadriennale, the principle institutional event devoted to contemporary Italian art, has reached its 15th year. It is now returning to its historic seat, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, where it will be the only exhibition on the summer 2008 calendar.



The Quadriennale exhibitions aim to provide an insight into the most significant trends in current art "made in Italy" Each edition is characterized by a specific connotation. The critical part of the 15th Quadriennale has been entrusted to a Commission of five curators: Chiara Bertola, Lorenzo Canova, Bruno Corà, Daniela Lancioni, and Claudio Spadoni. They have chosen to focus on the 1990s-2000s years, and to devote particular attention to young and mid-career artists who started to gain notice during this period.



It is therefore a Quadriennale that is particularly focused on emerging art, which offers a panorama of some of the most representative artistic experiments and pursuits of the past twenty years. Around one hundred artists were invited, some of whom are already acquiring international exposure. They are all participating with a recent work, in many cases created specifically for the occasion or on site. The exhibition also shows how contemporary art in Italy is diversified in its forms of expression than ever. It is very difficult to identify, among the artists, specific collective trends or schools; it is an art in which the personality of the individual artist, of his or her way of seeing, understanding, and interpreting, is the most prominent factor. Visitors are offered an opportunity for a stimulating exploration of contemporary creativity, ranging from traditional genres - drawing, painting, sculpture - to photography and video projections, including installations and environments that involve the visiting public. The organization has had to consider the need to offer a balanced presentation of works that are very different one from the other and, in many cases, very large in size.


The works on show reveal a variety of themes and interests. Some refer to topical subjects and propose points for reflection on our historic period. On the other hand, many have a more private dimension and concern topics such as identity, memory, and interpersonal relationships. A number of works dwell on the individual's interactions with the external space, from the large city to more intimate, closed environments, with a particular focus on their impact on our behavior. There are also works that reveal an interest in the mechanisms of communication, in the study of language and the written word, in the cognitive models of science. And there are works that exalt the evocative power of figurative art. Even the viewpoints and attitudes are different: at times ironic and surprising, at times critical and provocative, and at times silent and distant.


The 15th Quadriennale is also featuring a tribute to Luciano Fabro (Turin, 20 November1936 - Milan, 22 June 2007), on the first anniversary of his death. A master of Italian sculpture, Fabro gained renown starting in the 1960s, was one of the protagonists of the "Arte Povera" group, took part in the foundation of Milan's "Casa degli Artisti", and taught at the Academy of Brera. Major monographic shows have been devoted to his work, recently also, by the most important exhibition venues in Italy and abroad. There have been numerous participations in exhibitions such as Documenta, the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennial, and the Rome Quadriennale itself (1973, 1986, 2005). It is to Fabro that the opening of the exhibition is dedicated: his sculpture Autunno (Autumn), never exhibited before in Italy and one of his last works, is the only artwork the viewer sees on entering the Sala della Rotonda. The tribute is meant to symbolically remember the innovative nature of Fabro's language and the important theoretical-critical legacy of his teaching.


Catalogue: Marsilio


LaboratorioQuadriennale (QuadriennaleWorkshop)

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