Well-known art dealer Massimo de Carlo has revealed plans for a contemporary art foundation in his native Italy. The private organization, which will be established in the northern province of Asti, in the Piedmont region, will be the first of its kind in the region. “Through this foundation, we aim to bring the most intriguing voices of the international contemporary art scene to the territory in a remarkable landscape context complemented by an architectonic approach that exudes great respect despite its monumentality,” de Carlo said in a statement. communicated.
The new facility, to which only a vague timetable is attached – completion is expected “in the coming years” – is designed by Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati, while young Italian architects will compete to design the service buildings of the structure. The foundation will exhibit works by international contemporary artists and will offer residencies dedicated to artists.
In an email to Artnet News, de Carlo has made the foundation one of his long-time dreams. “It is a very exciting – dare I say humbling – challenge for me to expand my activities from the commercial work that I undertake with the gallery to the realm of public non-profit activities,” he continued.
Maurizio Rasero, the mayor of Asti, hailed the project in a statement, saying it would “enrich [the province’s] cultural heritage”, and pledging to lend the region’s support to the effort. “Asti and its province deserve an international platform, and initiatives like these are decisive steps in the right direction,” he said.
De Carlo opened his first gallery in Milan in 1987, focusing on emerging artists who lacked representation in Italy, and helping to launch the careers of Carsten Höller, Olivier Mosset and Steven Parrino, among others. The gallery currently operates additional outposts in London, Hong Kong and Paris, and boasts over sixty artists, including Maurizio Cattelan, Danh Võ and Jamian Juliano-Villani, who is herself a co-founder of New York Gallery O’Flaherty’s.
