Generations is a curated section, collocated at the center of miart, in which two galleries are invited to create a dialogue between two artists belonging to two different generations. The two galleries will share the same stand and will collaborate on a single exhibition project. Generations is curated by Anthony Reynolds (Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London) and Chris Sharp (Writer, Indipendent Curator and Co-director, Lulu, Mexico City).

Herald St will set the abstract visual vocabulary of New York-based artist Matt Connors next to the chromatic structures and meshes of Post-War master Piero Dorazio, brought by Tega. The inquisitive practice of Los Angeles-based artist and writer Walead Beshty (Thomas Dane Gallery) will converse with conceptual works on photography by North American experimental filmmaker and artist Morgan Fisher (Bortolami).

Architecture, design, and geometry will be the territories of the formal investigations by Chicago-based artist Richard Rezac (Isabella Bortolozzi) and the abstraction research of Giacomo Balla, a key proponent of Futurism (Maggiore G.A.M.), while The Sunday Painterwill bring New York-based sculptor Kate Newby’s spatial interventions together with Brooklyn-based painter Michael Berryhill’s vibrant imagery (Lulu).

The female body and identity will be at the center of the pairing between Feminist Avant-Garde multimedia artist Birgit Jürgenssen’s incisive works and Vienna-based artist Tina Lechner’s sculptural portraits, both brought by Galerie Hubert Winter, while the sophisticated exploration of form, pose, and gesture will be at the core of the dialogue between the scenic compositions of London-based artist Patrizio Di Massimo (T293) and the seminal works by German-American photographer Horst P. Horst (Paci Contemporary).

London-based painter Polys Peslikas’ fascinating stratifications of visual data (Vistamare – Vistamarestudio) will be paired with reknown De Stijl group member César Domela’s photographic experimentations (Martini & Ronchetti).
Finally, Japanese artist Katsumi Nakai’s tridimensional paintings (Ronchini) will meet with Milan-based artist Alice Cattaneo’s study of materials and their physical presence in the space (MLF | Marie-Laure Fleisch).
(Press release) 

Interview with Chris Sharp —

Elena Bordignon: Together with Anthony Reynolds, you are curating Generations, the section in which two galleries are invited to create a dialogue between two artists belonging to two different generations. Would you like to tell me something more about the main characteristics of this new section?

Chris Sharp: Well, I should start by saying that this section is not new to the fair. This is the third year it is taking place, and it builds upon a section formerly known as ThenNow, which was initially inaugurated in 2014. What is new about this particular edition is the fact that it was organized by two “gallerists” so to speak, as opposed to conventional curators. By gallerists, I mean professionals who have a commercial trajectory in addition to a curatorial one, such as myself and Anthony.
Alessandro had the very canny idea of putting the section in the hands of professionals who actually have a stake in, and therefore (some) knowledge of the commercial sector of the art world. Whether or not Anthony and I were the best candidates for this is debatable.
I myself am a curator who plays at being a dealer due to the necessity of supporting his space, and Anthony is a legendary dealer with a highly non commercial program. Perhaps our relatively unorthodox modes of operating are precisely what qualified us for this position. Whatever the case may be, the section, which is meant to function as both the fulcrum and the connective tissue between the modern and contemporary parts of the fair, is full of surprising and delightful pairings. Some of the parings, such as that of Richard Rezac with Isabella Bortolozzi, Berlin plus Giacomo Balla with Maggiore G.A.M., Bologna, Paris and Milan, really embrace the modern and contemporary juxtaposition, while others, such as Lulu presenting Michael Berryhill + The Sunday Painter presenting Kate Newby, look more at the connections and friction between very different practices.

EB: Which were the criteria you choose to pick the eight couples of dialoguing artists? 

CS: If there was any specific criteria beyond a will to present a heterogeneity of practices, it was a focus upon and mindfulness of the fact that this is an Italian art fair. Thanks to the influential involvement of Alessandro, many Italian positions were included in the process and final selection. For example, when I brought up the possibility of Matt Connors, Alessandro proposed a pairing with Piero Dorazio, with which Matt was thoroughly delighted.

EB: The difference between the kinds of research of artists coming from different generations is not always clear, and, on the contrary, it’s often possible to feel a certain harmony of languages rather than generational gaps. Talking about the eight selected artists couples, could you tell me more about the discussion between some artists we will find in the fair?

CS: Well, for the most part the section abides by its modus operandi of the generational gap, but generally speaking, the juxtapositions were created less by virtue of their similarities than their potential to generate potentially new readings of the work.

EB: Among Generations proposals, are there artists who produced specific works for this occasion?

CS: Yes of course, virtually all of the younger positions, such as Matt Connors, Kate Newby, Michael Berryhill, and Patrizio di Massimo produced new works for the fair.

EB: With regard to the prize that one of the booth of the Generation section will receive, which criteria do you hope the jury will follow?

CS: I suppose that if I were the judge, I would be looking at the thoughtfulness and quality of the installation as well as the potential richness of the relationship between the pair of artists. Is there a productive friction?  Do they illuminate one in another in new and exciting ways? How are readings of the work enriched? In other words, am I walking away from the booth with a modified or deepened understanding of the work?

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Fidenza Village Prize for Generations

For the third consecutive year, miart will partner with Fidenza Village – one of the eleven villages by The Bicester Village Shopping Collection – to award a prize of Euro 10,000 to the best dialogue within this section.

In 2019, the International Jury will be comprised of:
Magnus af Petersens, Director, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm
Cristiano Raimondi, Head of International Projects, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
Reinhard Spieler, Director, Sprengel Museum, Hannover