In 1974, BolognaFiere introduced a small section dedicated to modern and contemporary art within the usual Trade Fair: there were only 10 industry operators at the time. The following year, the participating galleries had already grown to 200, and this week, precisely from February 2nd to 4th with a preview on February 1st, Arte Fiera celebrates its 50th anniversary. A significant milestone that aligns Bologna's reality with only a few other global art market exhibitions. Notably, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy decided to mark the occasion with the issuance of a commemorative stamp, emphasizing the importance and cultural impact of Arte Fiera over the decades.
The 2024 edition will see the participation of 196 exhibitors presenting modern and contemporary art pieces, divided between pavilions 25 and 26 of the Bologna Exhibition Center, accessible from the Constitution side. Alongside the Main Section, three curated and invitation-only sections will be featured: Photography and Moving Images, curated by Giangavino Pazzola, Painting XXI, curated by Davide Ferri, and Multiples, curated by Alberto Salvadori. The Path also makes a return, not a specific section but a kind of thread connecting several stands in the Main Section. In 2024, with the support of the prestigious motorcycle brand Ducati, Path will explore the universal theme of drawing, connecting artists of different generations and languages.







At the helm of Arte Fiera, returning as artistic director is Simone Menegoi and as operational director is Enea Righi, an internationally recognized manager and collector. Together, they have decided that Opus Novum, the traditional commission of an unpublished work for an established Italian artist, will go to Luisa Lambri, known for her images of modernist architectures bordering on abstraction. Last year, the chosen creative was the recently departed Alberto Garutti: the second part of his commission, a plaque with the inscription "All the steps I have taken in my life have led me here, now," will be permanently placed at the main entrance of the exhibition center.
Arte Fiera will also maintain a strong connection with contemporary art through the live actions program curated by Bruna Roccasalva for the Fondazione Furla. Peruvian artist Daniela Ortiz will be the protagonist of an unprecedented intervention exploring political, economic, and cultural power systems. Two exhibitions have also been set up in the pavilions: "Practically Nothing to Sell," revisiting the history of performance at the third edition of Arte Fiera in 1976, and "Number Zero. The first catalog of Arte Fiera," curated by Clarissa Ricci, offering a glimpse into the origins of the fair through the catalog of its first edition.
As always, there will be numerous awards, ten in total, thanks to various sponsors, including BPER Banca, who has become the main partner of the initiative. The Trust for Contemporary Art is confirmed for the third year, investing thirty thousand euros at Arte Fiera in the acquisition of one or more exhibited artworks.
Regarding private initiatives, the special project by Mutina, a renowned ceramic brand entirely dedicated to Maurizio Cattelan, is noteworthy. Beyond the exhibition halls, the entire city will come alive in the name of contemporary art thanks to ART CITY Bologna, directed for the seventh consecutive year by Lorenzo Balbi. The fair has grown in the wake of the vibrant artistic season in Bologna during the 1970s, contributing to both its birth and development.







Giorgio Morandi will be the protagonist of ART CITY 2024, on the sixtieth anniversary of his death, through five special projects exploring and reinterpreting the master's work through various contemporary languages: Mary Ellen Bartley and Joel Meyerowitz for photography, Tacita Dean for video, Virgilio Sieni for performance, and Mark Vernon for sound. Finally, on Saturday, February 3rd, ART CITY White Night will return: the opening of most city art spaces until midnight.
Among the exhibitions in Bologna's institutions, four are particularly highlighted: at MAMbo - Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna, the first Italian anthological exhibition dedicated to the artist Ludovica Carbotta; at the Museo Civico Archeologico, the display of about 50 works by one of the most important Italian body artists, Giovanni Morbin, and at the Fondazione Golinelli, forty works by significant modern and contemporary artists from Marino Golinelli's private collection displayed for the first time.







This year, as well, Arte Fiera presents itself as a journey through the history and innovation of contemporary art, celebrating the past and looking confidently to the future.