MAGAZZINO

/maga'dż:ino (settentr. magazzéno) s. m. [from Arabic makhāzin, pl. of makhzan, d. of khazana ‘to preserve, to store’; - [room or complex of rooms used for the storage of products and various materials].

How many works an artist creates that remain unpublished for a long time, exhibited and then stored in gallery warehouses. Storage or deposits are primarily places of conservation and protection, a fundamental part of the reality of the work of art that does not live and exist only when exhibited in museums or galleries. It is also common practice for museums and collections not to be able to exhibit the total works of an artist due to limited space or the high artistic production and careful selection of works. The production of an artist is in fact not limited to what we see in exhibitions or fairs but is a continuous work and research that produces ever new works.

In fact, this exhibition aims to bring in works that have been collected and stored in the gallery's storages over the years, mixing them with unpublished pieces, made in the short term. Managing to put them on the same visual level and thus giving them the same importance, despite different times and genres. The exhibition obviously brings together works by some of the gallery's artists, through research that is oriented as much towards the essential as towards a representation of art in its complexity. Ranging from painting to sculpture to the use of new media, each artist presents his or her own work that interfaces with the others in a sometimes contrasting manner, but maintaining a simple and direct line, both with the gallery and with the public.

The common imagination associates storage with places that are full, filled with objects, in this case works of art. However, do not think of the clutter or dust typical of an ordinary storage, here every work is packed, well preserved, protected and catalogued. The action of bringing the functionality of the warehouse into the gallery is maintained in the ideological intent, while in the physical and installation realisation a balance and simplicity of display is sought that reflects the aesthetics of the gallery. The works on display are by the twelve artists in the exhibition: Nico Angiuli, Agostino Bergamaschi, Orianne Castel, Nico Covre, Iginio De Luca, Graziano Folata, Sophie Franza, Beatrice Gelmetti, Chiara Peruch, Francesco Piva, Wang Jingyun, Christopher Webb.

There was much discussion about the accessibility of the repositories, whether to allow visitors access to a larger part of the works of art, or to keep the two sections separate, that of the visible works and that of the less exposed pieces produced by the artists. The depot or warehouse has been spoken of not only as a space for conservation purposes, but also as a place of accessibility for the public. As a result, storages are becoming increasingly visitable and, when possible, open to the public. Gradually, there is growing awareness of the importance of these spaces, which not only store works, but are also places of research and study, from which significant content is drawn for exhibition activities, loans, acquisitions and exhibitions. In this case, the depot has been integrated directly into the gallery, allowing the two environments to merge, giving the depot the central role it deserves. Thus, repositories are not just ‘storerooms’ in the traditional sense, but crucial spaces for the conservation, research, education and enhancement of cultural heritage. With the growing interest in accessibility and transparency, the way collections are handled is evolving, involving the public in new and more interactive ways.

~ Elettra Arban

Date: 3 February, 2025

Location: Marina Bastianello Gallery - Venice, Italy

Curators:
Marina Bastianello, Elettra Arban

Photo Credit:
Francesco Piva

Participating Artists:
Nico Angiuli, Agostino Bergamaschi, Orianne Castel, Nico Covre, Iginio De Luca, Graziano Folata, Sophie Franza, Beatrice Gelmetti, Chiara Peruch, Francesco Piva, Wang Jingyun, Christopher Webb