How (well-)known is Italian contemporary art abroad

In a globalized world, the concept of nationality is becoming increasingly blurred and, even in contemporary art, we encounter increasingly multifaceted realities when it comes to geographical origin and identity. Certainly, artists are not chosen by their passport for an international exhibition, but rather on the quality of their work. However, it can be observed that support for the creation and sale of art is, in most cases, linked to the artists' countries of origin or choice and depends on very often national rules and regulations. In this report, we have asked ourselves about the relative weight of Italian contemporary art in the world, which today boasts at most sporadic presences at major international events. Our survey aims to reconstruct the map of the current state, not so much to claim a presumed Italian character in contemporary art, but to analyze the functioning of a system that necessarily has cultural and economic roots in our country.

Our independent study - which is not exhaustive, but only the first step towards future in-depth studies - is based on the historic 2005 analysis carried out by Pier Luigi Sacco, Walter Santagata, and Michele Trimarchi for the Darc (Directorate General for Architecture and Contemporary Art) of the Ministry of Culture and published in the now historic text "L'arte Contemporanea italiana nel mondo" (Italian Contemporary Art in the World) published by Skira. For the analysis we have considered the last decade, addressing the visibility of Italian artists born after 1960 both at an institutional and market level, since the success of Italian art produced in the 1950s-60s-70s (Fontana, Burri, Arte Povera) is by now well established. Our research was focused on the quantitative analysis of the data collected and on the qualitative analysis of the assessments of those who, as the Italian curators, both active in Italy and abroad, have long been working with Italian artists to promote their expertise across national borders. We have thus assembled a panel of more than 20 interviews on the successes and failures of Italian art, on the limits and opportunities lost or yet to be seized to imagine a more solid international affirmation.

We believe that much can still be done to enhance the value of Italian contemporary art, but we also think that constant monitoring of the efforts made is necessary. Especially at an institutional level, to check the solidity of the results obtained, set new goals, and identify new instruments of integration into the international art system. As we know from various publications and research, the Achilles' heel of the Italian system is represented by the difficult access to the art system of those who study and graduate from high school. In the absence of revenues from the artistic activity and institutional networks in Italy (the Quadriennale in Roma is a commendable exception), young people are forced to complete their education and exhibitions abroad, where the Italian Cultural Institutes often provide support (mainly in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United States), in order to consolidate their skills through mentoring and discussions with critics and the public, activities in Italy are carried out almost exclusively by independent cultural centers or research galleries. Even though the European legislator has repeatedly urged the Member States to adopt the Social Statute for Artists (2006/2249) aimed at creating a "European professional register", the fragility of an under-protected and poorly paid profession remains in Italy, exacerbated by the pandemic crisis. Without this register, we do not even know the number of professional artists in Italy.