Arte Fiera Restarts: Bologna Lights Up the Future of Art
Bologna last night had the air of a fresh start. Arte Fiera officially opened its new season, launching — more than an edition — a real change of pace: the first under the artistic direction of Davide Ferri, with Enea Righi keeping the operational rhythm for the fourth consecutive year. The title, Cosa sarà (“What will be”), doesn’t promise certainties but movement — that dose of mystery that keeps collectors and art lovers hooked on contemporary art like a series you can’t stop watching.
The opening felt like a living atlas of the art system: artists weaving between stands, gallerists in debut mode, curators with their mental notebooks always on, collectors ready to sense the future before it becomes the past. The numbers tell the story of a packed fair: 201 exhibitors across galleries, publishing and institutions, and a strong turnout of curators, artists and gallerists. Among the many faces spotted were Loris Cecchini, Valerio Berruti, Marcello Maloberti, Sara Goldschmied and Eleonora Chiari, Cristiana Perrella, Paolo Gonzato, Andrea Viliani, Luca Cerizza — and even NBA champion Marco Belinelli.
Framing it all, a Main Section that continues its dialogue between modern and contemporary art, alongside five curated sections pushing the conversation forward. Photography shifts gear with “Fotografia e dintorni,” curated by Marta Papini; reproducibility becomes both political and aesthetic language in “Multipli,” curated by Lorenzo Gigotti; painting takes center stage again in “Pittura XXI” with Ilaria Gianni; younger generations emerge in “Prospettiva,” guided by Michele D’Aurizio; while the twentieth century is reactivated through collecting in “Ventesimo+,” under the eye of Alberto Salvadori.
Arte Fiera isn’t trying to dazzle with fireworks, but with a careful direction that puts the present back at the center. And last night, between handshakes, first sales and conversations as dense as museum corridors, Bologna proved that the future of art — for now — still passes through here.
Text: Germano D’Acquisto
Photos: Alessio Ammannati
