On 6 March 2024, the “Baldessari Futurista” exhibition was inaugurated in Rovereto, in collaboration with the Mart, chaired by Vittorio Sgarbi. Five days later Giancarlo Cappelletti, 82 years old, collaborator of the critic Philippe Daverio, leaves a catalog in which he reports that some of the works on display are fake. That is 23 out of 55. But visitors will be able to admire them until September 8th. The ticket costs 7 euros. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that Cappelletti also wrote to Sgarbi: «Egr. prof., I am writing to you because I consider you more competent on the subject in question.” He explains that only some works are historically documented, others are not: «The latter should be around 100 years old: why do they seem to have been painted yesterday?».
Cappelletti also noted that according to exhibitions and publications these have appeared on the market in the last 10-15 years. «For 80 years did they sleep in some closet? Doesn’t that seem strange to you? But above all, they do not resemble the certainly authentic works”, he adds. Sgarbi responds to the newspaper: «The exhibition is made up of works by the heirs who have exclusive power over the authentic ones. The Mart has lent undisputed works from its collections. No one has ever painted fake Baldessari, from the non-existent market.” And he adds: «The only expert is Maurizio Scudiero, the other is a mythomaniac. The case does not exist”. Meanwhile, the Venice Protection Unit made initial access to the exhibition by summoning the curator.
Cover photo from: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Read also:
Tags: Vittorio Sgarbi exhibition painter Baldessari works fake
