Baselitz meets Fontana Milan Welcomes Ropac with a Museum-Quality Exhibition
By Francesca Amé
Palazzo Belgioioso, in the very heart of Milan, is the new address for collectors and art lovers. It's the venue that renowned Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac —who already has offices in London, Paris, Salzburg, and Seoul—has chosen for his Italian debut, perhaps the most eagerly awaited event on the Italian art market this autumn. The hostess (and strong-willed and capable director) is Elena Bonanno di Linguaglossa: of a Sicilian father and Belgian mother, born in Rome 45 years ago, "raised with a work ethic I would describe as Protestant," she has gained solid experience in the art world, working in London for major galleries. Ropac has entrusted her with the task of opening the Milan branch of his gallery. A job that also required a lot of space redevelopment and was subjected to a not always agile (Italian) bureaucracy, but now here we are: the elegant doors of the headquarters have finally opened, and they did so with an exhibition of refined elegance.
On the first floor of the building (the gallery is accessed from the second courtyard on the left), a two-person exhibition is being held. It features paintings and sculptures by the German artist Georg Baselitz (b. 1938) from the last decade alongside works by Lucio Fontana (1899–1968) conceived between the 1930s and 1960s. Entitled “L'aurora viene,” it also features a group of works on loan from the Lucio Fontana Foundation. This original, unprecedented exhibition is open until November 21st.
"We had to start with something remarkable," Bonanno confided to us months ago. Judging by the comments of numerous collectors and the Italian and international press that have visited the gallery in recent days, the result has been achieved.
