OPENING EXHIBITION "THE GREAT BEAUTY of Venice"

On Friday, November 18th, GR Gallery, located at 255 Bowery, New York, NY 10002, held a new exhibition "The Great Beauty of Venice" followed by a cocktail reception. We have conducted an interview with the organizers.

How many artists' work are featured in the exhibition "The Great Beauty of Venice"?

35 paintings from artists:

Emilio Vedova, Riccardo Licata, Virgilio Guidi, Gino Morandis, Ennio Finzi, Massimo d'Orta, Carmelo Zotti

Which are the key highlights of this exhibition?

It's hard to point out just a few pieces, but the most important is "Del Nostro tempo", 1976, a very iconic black red and white abstract painting by the Master Emilio Vedova, following this another fundamental piece is "Untitled", 2007, a representative large golden canvas that features the magic alphabet of artist Riccardo Licata and, Last but not the least, there is the minimal painting featuring an abstract landscape of the Venice lagoon "Marina con Balaustra", 1971, by Virgilio Guidi.

Here is the final speech of the gallery owner during the opening exhibition:

"The reason for “The great Beauty of Venice”

We have decided to entitle this exhibition “the great beauty of Venice” to celebrate Venice in the States, but also to offer New York’s public an authentic, true vision of what happened in the world of Art in the after war.

Beyond the cinematographic suggestions, the global Art system has not passed through Rome, but through Venice, as well as through Paris: first of all through the Biennale, then even through the many public institutions such as Ca’ Pesaro, the Bevilacqua, the Masa, the Correr Museum, etc. Besides, innumerable private structures stimulated and cultivated for some decades the cultural ferments of the Venetian lagoon, first among everything the Guggenheim Foundation.

Peggy Guggenheim came ashore in Venice and the town became the true laboratory of contemporary art.

And so, trying to represent her, we have chosen six artists who were extremely important in the ‘50s and ‘60s and who continued to work with undiminished creativity through all their career, some of them even until nowadays.

Emilio Vedova’s powerful gesture, Riccardo Licata’s arcane and narrative sign, Virgilio Guidi’s plastic brightness, Ennio Finzi’s thunderous colour, Carmelo Zotti’s embrace with myth and Gino Morandis’s spatial atmospheres will guide the spectator to rediscover the magic of the lagoon town.

Giovanni Granzotto"

Why is the history and the artistic developments of the lagoon city so unique and influential to the curator?

Venice and Paris have been the true cultural hubs in Europe: events such the Venice Biennale, but also many other public institutions such as Ca’ Pesaro, the Bevilacqua, the Masa, the Correr Museum, and many other public institutions have cultivated for some decades the cultural ferments of the Venetian lagoon, first among everything the Guggenheim Foundation. Peggy Guggenheim came ashore in Venice and the town became the true laboratory of contemporary art. This is so influential to the curator, Giovanni Granzotto, because he established himself, over the last 45 years, intense relationship, both personal and professional with many venetian artists that created this unique art scene.

Who are some of the protagonists of this exhibition?

Emilio Vedova, Riccardo Licata, Virgilio Guidi, Gino Morandis, Ennio Finzi, Massimo d'Orta, Carmelo Zotti

When and where will this exhibition be held?

The exhibition will run from November 19 to February 5, 2017, and be open Tuesday-Saturday through that period from noon 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. at GR Gallery, 255 Bowery, New York, NY 10002. GR Gallery, born almost forty years ago in the mid-1970s, soon focused its activities on the enhancement and promotion of the European (mostly Latin) post-war avant-garde, giving priority to those artists who have produced special and personal propulsive thrusts during the so-called Informel period, especially focused on the Spatialism movement of Venetian matrix and the artists who have gravitated to this city or made this their muse.

More info:
Website: http://www.gr-gallery.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GRgalleryNY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/752460144/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/grgallery
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/110788157503887400914