Located in the city of Reggio Emilia, this collection is housed in the former Max Mara headquarters and features some of the most iconic works of contemporary art from 1945 to the present.
advertisementThe city of Reggio Emilia in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region may be best known for Parmigiano-Reggiano, the iconic cheese originating from the region.
However, if you’re more interested in art than dairy products, why not visit Collezione Maramotti?
Located in the former headquarters of the legendary fashion house Max Mara, the building currently houses a vast collection of contemporary art amassed by the company’s founder, Achille Maramotti.
It houses around 200 works of art, one of the most impressive collections in all of Italy, but a new exhibition by Giulia Andreani also delves into the history of the building and the legacy of the Maramotti family.
“L’improduttiva” (translated as “the unproductive”) is a typical work of the Italian Andreani. She is known for repurposing her personal memorabilia and archival photographs through her paintings, addressing forgotten histories.
For his first solo exhibition at an Italian art facility, a large space will be set up in the south room of Collezione Maramotti, and new works such as large-scale paintings and watercolors will be on display.
In a meta twist, the eponymous “L’improduttiva” is at the center of the exhibition. It was inspired by an early 1940s photograph of female students at the tailoring school founded in Reggio Emilia by Giulia Maramotti, the mother of Max’s founder. Mara.
One young seamstress stands out as she looks straight into the lens with a mocking smile on her face. Andreani brings out her interpretation of this striking image, depicting themes of both female liberation and the power of emanation, leaving the viewer a little uneasy.
This work sets the tone for the rest of Andreani’s exhibition. A self-described feminist painter and researcher, she questions how women have been viewed and represented in different eras, always pointing to underlying power relations and deconstructing gender stereotypes. That’s what I’m aiming for.
She also focuses on the pieces of history that are at risk of being lost, and strives to ensure that they are not forgotten.
This is especially evident in the works inspired by images from the Carlo Ribi Scientific Library, another highlight of the exhibition, where Carlo Ribi created a collection of buildings in the former psychiatric hospital from the late 19th century until the 1970s.・I was able to get a deep insight into the people who lived in Lazarus.
Andreani uncovers the hidden lives of hospital inmates, parts of their lives that perhaps have been lost to history. Instead, they are celebrated in a separate series of his seven portraits, “The Seven Saints.”
Andreani’s amazing “photo painting” techniques, along with powerful and interesting commentary, are sure to whet your appetite for more contemporary art. And luckily you’re in the right place.
As you delve deeper into Collezione Maramotti, you can explore hundreds of works of art from the collection dating from 1945 to the present day.
The works are sent not only from Italy but from all over the world, and although most of the works are paintings, installations and sculptures also make up a small portion.
One particularly striking work is Postnaturalia by Czech artist Krzysztof Kinter. This is an exploration of nature as a giant nervous system in the modern “Copper Age”. Kinter’s vast installation, comprised of traditional art materials as well as electrical and electronic waste, stills, lamps, and chemicals, occupies an entire room at the Collezione.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the collection focuses on European art such as Informel, Roman Pop Art, and Neo-Expressionism, but the other side of the pond is also well represented.
American Neo-Expressionism was featured prominently in the 1980s and 1990s, along with American New Geometry.
advertisementFive years ago, in March 2019, Collezione exhibited a number of collaborations with artists, which were originally intended to be on display for a limited period of time, i.e. permanently.
The 10 rooms on the second floor of the building currently house small-scale exhibitions by artists such as Enoch Perez, Gerd and Uwe Tobias, and Margherita Moscardini, who first presented their work at the Collezione in 2008, 2009, and 2019, respectively. We are holding an exhibition.
By choosing to give these artists relatively free reign, Collezione is working towards the goal of supporting pivotal moments in the careers of Italian and international artists.
Additionally, in collaboration with London’s Whitechapel Gallery, we award the Max Mara Art Prize for Women every two years, which aims to encourage and support emerging female artists living and working in the UK. .
This award gives winners the opportunity to further develop their creative potential and career by helping them create a completely new art project.
advertisementThis attitude is also evident at Collezione Maramotti.
Curators said the collection itself is still a “work in progress” and will remain flexible into the future as new and different avenues of contemporary art open up to the world.
L’improduttiva runs until March 10, 2024, Collezione Maramotti is located at Via Fratelli Cervi, 66, 42124 Reggio Emilia RE, Italy.