With a strong penchant for the “”unusual,”” “”cultural exploration,”” and the “”never before done,”” the gallery pursues innovative projects with heart and a dash of madness. It surprises and conquers. Beloved by collectors, coveted by artists, and esteemed by insiders, the gallery occupies a primary role in the panorama of “”innovative dealers.”” It ties in perfectly with the territory and always returns what it receives. A well-executed example of market, passion, discovery, and experimentation… Knowing Galleria Continua better means knowing the system and its protagonists better. This a vital point of reference for those who love art, collect it or buy it, even if only for investment. Eight appointments to understand its world. Eight stories to get to know its talents. Eight tips for entering the market.
1. Venue: San Gimignano
Galleria Continua opened in 1990, choosing to settle and establish itself in a completely unexpected place: San Gimignano, a town far from ultra-modern urban centers but rich in history and ancient art. Moved by the thought of giving space to the development of new forms of dialogue, the three founders, Lorenzo, Mario, and Maurizio, established Galleria Continua and Associazione Arte Continua, developing the two entities in parallel as tools to defend their proposals in the art world and to create synergies between public and private. The gallery’s name stems from the three founders’ desire to sublimate the link between past, present, and future. Galleria Continua thus becomes an interpreter of the desire for continuity between eras and the aspiration to participate in writing the current history. Since October 1995, Galleria Continua has been occupying a former cinema theater that contrasts with the white cube aesthetic: the exhibition space must reflect the past and the identity of the place that hosts it, and the dialogue between works and space must promote continuity between past, present, and future. “”Some people ask, “”Why to do this?”” and then let it go. And others, however, ask themselves “”Why not?”” and go out of their way to see what happens.”” (Lorenzo Fiaschi, Mario Cristiani, Maurizio Rigillo, founders of Galleria Continua)
2. Upcoming events: The Ability to Dream
Galleria Continua / San Gimignano is pleased to present “”The Ability to Dream,”” a tribute exhibition to all the artists who have accompanied the gallery in more than 30 years of its history. The exhibition unfolds as an immersive experience, presenting a nucleus of works. It includes the work of the sixty-six artists who have collaborated with the gallery since its inception and those who have joined it more recently. Each has left a mark and broken new ground, shaping a history of collaborations and dialogues that have developed over the years like a complex and colorful web. Included in the exhibition, organized as a play of installations between lights and colors, is the documentary “”Galleria Continua. The Ability to Dream,”” produced by Sky Arte and TIWI, which stands as a concrete representation of a goal shared by Continua: to be a meeting point for everyone through art.
Couleur Additive 2010. Ephemeral work on 2 pedestrian crosswalks
during the Art Basel Miami Beach fair. Miami Beach, United States, 2010.
Photo: Atelier Cruz-Diez Paris / Jose Ramon Moreno Herrera © Carlos Cruz-Diez / Bridgeman Images 2022
3. The representative artist: Carlos Cruz-Diez
Carlos Cruz-Diez was born in 1923 in Caracas, Venezuela, and died in Paris in 2019. The artist, recognized as one of the greatest artistic innovators of the 20th century, studied at the School of Fine Arts in Caracas, where he graduated as a professor in Applied Arts in 1940. In 1960 he moved to Paris, where he decided to settle and develop his artistic practice. Cruz-Diez is the pioneer of Kinetic and Optical art, a movement that encourages “”awareness of the instability of reality.”” Carlos Cruz-Diez’s artistic innovation explores the perception of color as an autonomous reality that evolves in space and time, unassisted by forms or supports. The viewer’s participation is essential in Cruz-Diez’s art: his eye and movement are the activators. The artist’s works are thus configured as experiences and events to be lived and experienced. Carlos Cruz-Diez, the latest addition to the Continua stable, never ceases to surprise its audiences with its selection of artists straddling different eras.
Chromatic Induction Walkway SCAD 1, 2017
Ephemeral intervention on two walkways for the exhibition
“”Chroma””, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, United States, 2017, LEN. 75 x W. 3 m
Photo: Articruz S.A. Panama / Rafael Guillen © Carlos Cruz-Diez / Bridgeman Images 2022
4. Market: positioning and quotations
Carlos Cruz-Diez has been one of contemporary art’s most important and influential players. Cruz-Diez’s work still attracts the attention of the world’s most prominent collectors and foundations. Galleria Continua has decided to inaugurate the artist’s representation by celebrating his work with a dedicated booth at Frieze Masters in London and with a significant project to be inaugurated in the Jardins des Tuleries during Paris + by Art Basel (Oct. 20-23 in Paris). Carlos Cruz Diez’s works are housed in prestigious permanent collections of institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); New York, Tate Modern, London; Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne His price ranges from 50,000 to 500,000 euros.
Environnement de Transchromie circulaire, Paris 1965/2017
Foire internationale d’art contemporain (FIAC), Place de la Concorde, Paris, France, 2019
Glass and aluminum, HT. 2,10 x ⌀ 5 m [6 x 16 ft.]
Photo: Atelier Cruz-Diez Paris / Lisa Preud’homme. © Carlos Cruz-Diez / Bridgeman Images 2022
5. Research: a sample sentence
“”Art and life cannot be separated because they are the same thing“” Carlos Cruz-Diez.
Cromovela 2014. Cinta Costera III, Panama, Republic of Panama
Enamel painting on steel structure. HT. 11 x W. 1,9 m [36 x 6 ft.]
Photo: Articruz S.A. © Carlos Cruz-Diez / Bridgeman Images 2022
With this story dedicated to the historic venue in San Gimignano, we conclude the journey of discovery of Galleria Continua through its eight venues that see it as a protagonist on the international scene. From Beijing to Havana and from Paris to São Paulo via Rome, Dubai, and San Gimignano, we searched for the spirit of the places and the uniqueness of the artists who are part of them. Tying them together is contemporary art as a bridge between times past and times to come. Special thanks go to Charlotte Urgese and Camilla Magnani of the Paris Marais office, whose contribution was fundamental in creating the stories. Thanks also to Delfina Grassi and Giulia Bacelle of the We Wealth editorial staff, who collaborated on the project, and Claudia Tani, who made it possible, along with Fabienne Mailfait and Lorenzo Fiaschi.
alessandro@we-wealth.com
Cover: Chromosaturation 1965/2013. Exhibition “”Dynamo. Un siècle de lumière et de mouvement dans l’art. 1913-2013″”, Grand Palais, Paris, France, 2013. Photo: Atelier Cruz-Diez Paris / Chloé Massin, Edouard Pienovi © Carlos Cruz-Diez / Bridgeman Images 2022
