How state-led art collection in Rome spotlights contemporary Italy beyond its Renaissance past

Celebrated Futurist Umberto Boccioni's bronze cast "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" (1913), center, is on display at Art Sonje Center in central Seoul as part of the exhibition "The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection." Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center

Italian foreign ministry's historic Farnesina Collection showcased in Seoul

By Park Han-sol

Ancient Rome, the Renaissance and the Baroque ― such are the keywords that immediately spring to mind when speaking of Italy's sweeping artistic heritage.

But beyond the country's long-standing reputation as the nursery of Western art, how many are versed in its modern and contemporary influences and achievements?

"Italian culture did not stop at the Renaissance, of course. It moved on as it always does. Art and creativity keep moving on (to) reflect cultural and social changes," remarked Alessandro de Pedys, director general for public and cultural diplomacy at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in his address at Art Sonje Center. "To Seoul, we wanted to bring contemporary Italy."

The exhibition, "The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection," mounted at the museum in central Seoul, presents an eclectic tapestry of artistic movements that traverse 20th- and 21st-century Italy ― from Futurism to Metaphysical art, Art Informel, Arte Povera and Transavantgarde ― through 71 works from the Farnesina Collection.

Seoul is the fourth stop for this traveling show curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, an acclaimed art critic and curator who also led the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993, following its run in Singapore, Tokyo and New Delhi.

Arturo Martini's bronze cast "L'amante morta" (1922), front, with Mimmo Jodice's black-and-white photo series "Mediterraneo" (1990-15) in the background / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center

The Farnesina Collection is a trove of Italian modern and contemporary art nestled in a rather unexpected site in Rome: the Palazzo della Farnesina, a government building housing the country's foreign ministry.

In 1960, the ministry, which used to be based in the lavish Palazzo Chigi in the city center with over three centuries of architectural history, relocated to a newly constructed, modern-style building across the river.

It was "quite a traumatic move" for the diplomats, recalled Umberto Vattani, who served twice as secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is now president of Venice International University.

In their eyes, the Farnesina's post-World War II architecture, fitted with high walls, empty open spaces and large corridors, seemed much "less opulent" than Palazzo Chigi. But what was more, the relocation to the peripheral area of Rome meant they were now cast aside, away from the center of power.

Installation view of "The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection" at Art Sonje Center / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center

"So what did they do? They did nothing to improve the interior of the building. They left it the way it was handed over to them ― basic and simple," he noted.

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And it stayed that way for four more decades until Vattani returned to Rome in 1998 after his assignment as the Italian ambassador to Germany. What struck him upon setting foot in the barren palazzo was an uneasy feeling of emptiness. "This building did not in any way represent contemporary Italy," the veteran diplomat said.

Then, what could be done to show the foreign dignitaries and delegations visiting the ministry that the country has transitioned to a new era? Vattani found the answer in contemporary art.

From Pietro Consagra's abstract bronze sculpture to Lucio Fontana's neon swirling in the ceiling, a diverse assemblage of paintings, installations, mosaics and photographs began to occupy the nine-story establishment, one by one.

Their arrival sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles. "You could immediately see the impact of these works on the architectural lines of the building," he recalled.

Thus began the foreign ministry's historic initiative to build an extensive trove spotlighting Italy's 20th- and 21st-century art ― which has long struggled to compete with the overwhelming legacy of the Renaissance and the Baroque.

Marino Marini's bronze sculpture "Cavallo" (1945), front, with Grazia Varisco's "Quadri comunicanti" (2008) in the background / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center

Despite its name, the Farnesina Collection is technically not a "collection" owned permanently by the Italian ministry. Rather, it operates under a loan agreement, in which the exhibited pieces remain the property of the artists, lending institutions and collectors.

The government agency's limited budget is one obvious reason behind this decision. But more importantly, Vattani explained that such an agreement is what allows the collection to be "in constant evolution" that changes with time instead of remaining static.

"The Italian artistic panorama should be portrayed in its perpetual state of flux," he added.

The exhibition, "The Grand Italian Vision," offers a mini-spectacle of the southern European country's new art that once shared a space at the Palazzo della Farnesina through a fluid mix of paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos of various artistic tendencies.

Such a nonlinear curatorial approach visualizes the multifaceted eclecticism and stylistic diversity that are in the nature of contemporary Italian art, according to Bonito Oliva.

Michelangelo Pistoletto's "L'etrusco" (1976), front, which features a gilded bronze statue of The Orator in front of a mirror, with Domenico Bianchi's "Untitled" (2022), made with wax and fiberglass, in the background / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center

Futurism, a pre-war avant-garde art movement that aimed to capture the dynamism and speed of the industrial world, influenced Metaphysical paintings ― and Surrealism, to some extent ― which portrayed dreamlike spaces suspended in time. Subsequently came the wave of abstract Art Informel and Arte Povera, or "Poor Art," which strove for open-ended experimentation outside formal restraints, until the eventual emergence of Neo-expressionist Transavantgarde.

"By tracing this constant creative transformation, the exhibit showcases the talent of Italy's contemporary artists who continue to transcend the boundaries of different mediums, genres, styles and disciplines," the curator said.

At the museum, visitors can see celebrated Futurist Umberto Boccioni's bronze-cast "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" (1913), as well as "Base Magica" (1961) produced by conceptual provocateur Piero Manzoni, who is best known for "Artist's Shit" (1961), a collection of 90 unopened tin cans claimed to contain human feces.

Also on view are "L'etrusco" (1976), which features a gilded bronze statue of The Orator in front of a mirror, by Michelangelo Pistoletto, a champion of Arte Povera, and "Cretto A" and "Cretto C" (1971) by Alberto Burri, an abstract master noted for his pioneering usage of unusual materials like burlap, plastic and charred wood in art.

"The Grand Italian Vision," which has been branded as the European country's "vital instrument of cultural diplomacy," runs through Aug. 20 at Art Sonje Center.

Installation view of "The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection" at Art Sonje Center / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Seoul, Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, Art Sonje Center