Massimo de Carlo is building a new private foundation in his home country, Italy.

On July 12, the veteran concessionaire signed a declaration of intent with the Italian province of Asti, where the site will be erected “in the years to come”, according to a press release. The scheduled installation is billed as the “first private crossroads dedicated to contemporary art” in the province.

The move, de Carlo said in a statement, “not only allows the realization of a new hub for contemporary art but also opens up new institutional and cultural perspectives for the gallery.

“Through this foundation, we aim to bring to the territory the most intriguing voices of the international contemporary art scene in a remarkable landscape context complemented by an architectonic approach that exudes great respect despite its monumentality”, he said. added.

A model of the private foundation planned by Massimo de Carlo in Italy. © Olgiati Archive.

Carlo’s foundation will revolve around a program of exhibitions of international contemporary works and will offer residencies dedicated to artists. Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati will design the foundation’s master plan, while Carlo’s team will launch a competition for young Italian architects to develop the site’s service buildings.

Maurizio, mayor of Asti Rasero says the province “With all my heart [supports] a project that aims to enrich our cultural heritage.” He added This “Asti and its province deserve an international platform, and initiatives like these are decisive steps in the right direction.

De Carlo opened his first gallery in Milan in 1987, focusing on early-career artists who otherwise had no representation in Italy, including Olivier Mosset, Steven Parrino and Carsten Höller. Since then, the company has grown into an international business, with outposts opened in London, Hong Kong and Paris in 2009, 2016 and 2021, respectively. Names like Maurizio Cattelan, Jamian Juliano-Villani and Danh Võ now highlight Carlo’s list of over 60 artists.

In an email to Artnet News, the dealer said the decision to open a foundation was “a dream in the making for many years.”

“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,” concluded de Carlo.

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