RASSEGNA MIART 2019

05/04/2019 web web foglio sheet 2/6 A 21/5/2019 Meet the miart Early Birds: 10 Fairgoers Share Their Highlights of Milan's International Art Fair | artnet News https://news.artnet.com/art-world/meet-the-people-of-miart-1509460 2/10 There has been much talk about the host of blue chip galleries that are making an entry to the historically local and middle- market fair. Among these is Hauser & Wirth (http://www.artnet.com/galleries/hauser-wirth-zurich-london-new-york/), which is making a memorable debut with a solo presentation of Paul McCarthy (http://www.artnet.com/artists/paul-mccarthy/ ) works. Co- founder Iwan Wirth says the time was right to come to Milan, which has become an interesting hub for artists and institutions, as well as an ideal meeting place for swathes of enthusiastic Italian collectors. “It’s a sexy city now,” Wirth jokes. “There is also a highly informed and curious international audience, and people seem to have an att ention span longer than just saying the name of the artist.” McCarthy made sense because the artist has had a strong following in Italy for 40 years, and Milan is a great place to bring him back, after a popular show, “ Pig Island (https://www.fondazionenicolatrussardi.com/en/mostre/pig_island/) ” at the Fondazione Nicola Trussardi in 2010. The 2019 edition of miart was off to a good start for the Italian gallery Francesco Pantaleone Arte Contemporanea, which sold works within hours of fair opening. Works sold included two editions of a new sculpture by Ignazio Mortellaro, Hunter/Hunted (2019). Gallery director Francesco Pantal eone says that slow and steady is the mantra at miart. “It’s not so fast, but you sell every day,” Pantaleone says. Italians famously love to talk, and the smaller-scale fair leaves more time for schmoozing, so we seized the opportunity to do just that, and caught up with seven fair-goers to gauge what they make of the fair. Letizia Ragaglia Letizia Ragaglia. Photo by Naomi Rea. What do you do?  I’m the director of a museum of Modern and contemporary art based in Bozen in Northern Italy. It’s called Museion. Are you shopping for works for Museion at miart?  Unfortunately not. For one thing, we don’t have the budget, and for another, we only acquire works out of our shows. So you’re just looking? Miart is certainly a source of inspiration, bu t it’s also a great meeting place. It’s amazing for collectors, gallerists, artists, curators, and everyone to meet. I haven’t seen it all yet because I make one step and I am stopped by someone. I look with a lot of curiosity to the younger sections, not always to discover, but really to confirm the quality of younger artists I knew already. The “generations” section is always well curated and curio us, too. Alysen and Thomas Vasold