News between different places, times and arts. Let’s start with Milan and its Bar Craja, an iconic place for the artistic culture and beyond of the Thirties. This is followed by a volume dedicated to the relationship between Lucio Fontana and Osvaldo Borsani. From Milan we move on to Paris with a precious anthology of the art writings of Jean Cocteau, we remain in Paris (and surrounding areas) with the Giorgio Villani book which traces the topography of the places where the Impressionists painted. Finally, we cross the Atlantic and arrive at the present day with the carefully curated catalog dedicated to the Damien Hirst exhibition, with the works in which the artist speaks and reflects on the theme of death.
Dario Moalli
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Milan of the Thirties at Bar Craja
The CASVA Foundation inaugurates the series Arches with a volume dedicated to Bar Craja, emblem of the cultural and artistic ferment of Milan in the Thirties. Located a few steps from the Teatro alla Scala and the Galleria del Milione, Bar Craja emerges in the volume as a real laboratory of ideas, comparable to European cultural places of worship such as the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna and the Café L’Aubette in Strasbourg. During a historical period marked by the fascist regime, the Craja represented an oasis of rationalist and anti-bourgeois thought, a lively alternative to the more conservative cafés of the center of Milan. The book traces the history of the bar not only as a physical space but as a “planetary station” of dialogue and comparison between sometimes opposing artistic currents.
Enrica Craja – Craja time. Biography of a coffee
Nomos, 2024
page 256, €24.90
ISBN 9791259581556
DISCOVER the book HERE
The meeting between art and design in the partnership between Fontana and Borsani
The book Lucio Fontana Osvaldo Borsani aims to explore the mutual influence and creative collaboration between the architect designer Osvaldo Borsani and the artist Lucio Fontana. Focusing on the period from the end of the 1940s, with Fontana’s return to Italy, up to the 1950s, this publication highlights a partnership that has challenged the traditional boundaries of art and design. The volume presents a selection of works that testify to the peak of their collaboration, with particular attention to the creation of Casa G., one of the most emblematic living environments created by the duo. Through a detailed exploration of this space, the book offers an in-depth vision of how Borsani and Fontana overcame disciplinary constraints to give life to free formal research full of creative energy.
Mattia De Luca – Lucio Fontana. Osvaldo Borsani
Skira, 2024
page 112, €35
ISBN 9788857247311
DISCOVER the book HERE
Jean Cocteau and his thoughts on art
The book, Writings on art. Between genius and acrobatics explores Jean Cocteau’s lesser-known but no less significant ability to comment on and interpret the works of artists from different eras, with a perspective that ranges from modern to classical art. His unconventional critical approach, far from that of specialists, demonstrates a deep understanding and a unique affinity with the artistic world, highlighting his ability to always find “the right word” and to weave connections through vibrant writing rich in verbal images. Cocteau is notable for his ability to scrutinize artists with a critical and participatory eye, exploring works by Modigliani, Fernand Léger, De Chirico, Matisse and Picasso, among others. Furthermore, his ability to draw unexpected cultural connections illuminates figures as diverse as El Greco, Watteau and Coco Chanel, demonstrating a transversal dialogue between different artistic and cultural expressions.
Jean Cocteau – Writings on art. Between genius and acrobatics
Christian Marinotti, 2024
page 172, €22.00
ISBN 9788882731960
DISCOVER the book HERE
Montmartre, Fontainbleu and beyond: the places of the impressionists
The places of the impressionists by Giorgio Villani recounts the innovative approach of the Impressionists in their desire to free themselves from the formality of the ateliers to immerse themselves in the vibrant streets of Paris and beyond. Narrating their existence in the lively cafés and humble homes of Montmartre, up to the picturesque clearings of Fontainebleau and the fascinating banks of the Seine, the text traces their choice to live and paint among people, following the example of naturalist writers such as Zola and Maupassant. The volume, enriched with paintings by Manet, Monet, Renoir, as well as from historical photographs, aims to map the key locations of their creativity, offering a tangible insight into their art and life through the artists’ novels, short stories and personal memories. This cultural fresco seeks to preserve and celebrate the fleeting but intense moments of an unrepeatable artistic era, now distant but always alive in the works and memories left to us.
Giorgio Villani – The places of the impressionists
Officina Libraria, 2024
page 160, €29.70
ISBN 9788833672472
DISCOVER the book HERE
The catalog of the Damien Hirst exhibition in Mexico City
With the theme of death at its centre, the exhibition catalogue To Live Forever (For a While), presents a large and complete collection of Hirst’s most iconic works, carefully told in the volume to fans of this artist, a transformative artistic journey. The volume itself, created by the Teikna Design studio and published by Rizzoli New York, goes beyond the function of narrating the exhibition to explore a central theme in Hirst’s artistic production, and does so by also connecting to the place where the exhibition was held, Mexico Citywhich the artist considers his second home precisely because of how Mexican culture has influenced his production.
Damien Hirst, To Live Forever (For a While) edited by Ann Gallagher, Alma Montero, Christaine Druml and Kit Hammonds
Rizzoli New York, 2024 (Eng – Esp)
page 208, $60.00
ISBN 9788891841438
DISCOVER the book HERE
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