An exhibition hosted at the Gallerie d’Italia, “Art as a Revelation”, is offering the public an exclusive opportunity to view the Agrati’s Contemporary Art Collection, works of art collected over the years by an entrepreneurial family devoted to work and culture.
Brianza is known as the region of work in Italy, a place where time is punctuated by the rhythm of production, and commitments are set in stone. A place where hard work and effort is required to make a name for yourself and gain respect from the rest of the world. This is where the Agrati’s are from, a family composed of entrepreneurs from the mechanical field which perfectly reflects their spirit. Due in no small part to their passion, commitment, sacrifice and moral fortitude, they managed to transform a small little shop selling screws and bolts into the multinational company it is today, with influence around the world. Their headquarters reside in Veduggio con Colzano (province of Lecco) with additional production sites spread all across the rest of the world.
The commitment to preserve culture is just as important as hard work to the Agrati brothers, Luigi and Peppino. This pledge caused the brothers to begin collecting contemporary artworks ever since the November of 1970 which was quite uncommon at the time since many viewers of art preferred gazing upon the more famous artworks from the ancient and classical times. In that same year they met a young artist by the name of Christo who was packing up a statue, the Milanese Vittorio Emanuele II, at the Piazza Duomo. During the interaction, the artist was asked to realize a few pieces of art for the gardens of the Agrati’s private villa, making these the first of their collection. The Agrati’s Contemporary Art Collection then since grown year after year till their recent decision to donate it to the Banca Intesa San Paolo group, this generous act only helping express the will of the family to share art and culture with the rest of the world.
These exclusive artworks belonging to Luigi and Peppino Agrati are being exhibited (Art as a Revelation) at the Gallerie d’Italia in Milan from the 16th to the 19th of August. A true delight to all the visitors who make the journey to visit these artworks as the quality of the artists are suburb; artists including Andy Warhol and his monumental “Triple Elvis”, Christo and his sketches of the packing, along with Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni and Lucio Fontana’s “Concetto Spaziale” (the horizontal red square canvas, perforated with his famous cuts). Furthermore, the collection also features some pieces of the Arte Povera from Jannis Kounellis, Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz e Michelangelo Pistoletto, including one of the “Specchi” artworks in which a man is fixing a truck. Joseph Kosuth, Bruce Nauman and the Italian Vincenzo Agnetti where members of the Conceptual Art movement, while Robert Rauschenberg is remembered for his iconic New Dada and Dan Flavin for his Minimalism. Pop Art and Street Art artists are also represented throughout the collection with artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, and finishing up the exhibition is a big dedication to Peppino Agrati.
This is more than just an exhibition, it has the ability to satiate the desire of conceiving an Art Collection as a revelation. It expresses curiosity and willingness to see beyond the ordinary, through images representing the spirit of the present day.
