BOLOGNA.- Arte Fiera, the first and longest running international exhibition of modern and contemporary art, will be held in Bologna from 23 to 26 January. This year's edition involves 216 exhibitors including 188 galleries (+ 49% from 2013, + 9% from 2014) presenting more than 2,000 works by 1,000 artists ranging from well-known established figures to up-and-coming contemporary artists.
Arte Fiera 2015, with its Artistic Directors Giorgio Verzotti and Claudio Spadoni and official partnership with the Italian Association of Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries sees a focus on acclaimed 20th-century artists, leading contemporary figures and up-and-coming future talents with Italian art collections at centre stage of the art scene. The exhibition is divided into five sections and a special curatorial area: the Main Section is the core of the project with 128 modern and contemporary art galleries offering an overview of the artistic panorama in Italy and elsewhere, while the special curatorial area features Leading Players; Photography; Solo Show; New Proposals; Focus Est (with emphasis on Middle Eastern cultures). The city of Bologna will be hosting the exhibition Too early, too late. Middle East and Modernity (22 January–12 April 2015, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna).
Other top initiatives include a tribute to Alberto Burri on the centenary of his birth, exhibiting his major work Cellotex CW1. Another tribute will be paid to Marilena Bonomo, founder and long-standing director of one of Italy's leading art galleries, who died on 25 August 2014.
This year sees the third edition of Arte Fiera's Special Fund destined for young artists. BolognaFiere plans to add to its own art collection by purchasing works, up to the value of 100,000 euro, from artists presented by galleries exhibiting at the fair. A new feature of this year's fair is the Collectors' Lounge: an area reserved for collectors to monitor the market prices of artists and artworks, make appointments with gallery owners, and enlist the tailor-made assistance of a personal curator.
