Contemporary Echoes: Rediscovering Italian Art from 1950-1980, Artworks from the BFF Collection

Curated by Renato Miracco

Twentieth-century Italian art, while recognizable due to its numerous prominent figures, remains on the fringe of popular culture with the general public unaware of its important origins and historical context. In the aftermath of the Second World War, both Italian and American artists presented their work as a vehicle for the expression of national renewal while also forcing discussions about the rise of modern technology and consumerism.

While Italian artists were more culturally engaged with their past, American artists were unencumbered by the presence of deep-seated artistic traditions and were thus able to explore innovative perspectives and new techniques through their work. This divergence in style prompted Italian artists to seek confrontational spaces, while Americans yearned for ancestral connections to serve as the benchmark for comparison and synthesis.

Against this backdrop, our exhibition aims to unravel the intricate interplay between Italian and American art, focusing on the narrative presented by Italian artists from 1950 to 1980. Through this exhibition, we will uncover the unique alphabet, or language of artistic expression, that individual artists used to define their own unique viewpoints, and styles and tell their stories. Central to this exploration is the BFF Bank Collection, which, while anchored in Pop Art, extends its reach beyond.

These decades of radical political and social change underscore a dynamic interchange, where mutual fascination with American culture acted as a conduit for presenting new desires and possibilities, transcending mere circumstance. This exhibition marks the commencement of a broader investigation into this enthralling cultural exchange.

Renato Miracco

Event: Creative Alliances-Navigating the Intersection of Business and the Arts