From 10 to 12 May 2013, Superstudio Piu in via Tortona 27 in Milan will host the third edition of MIA – Milan Image Art Fair, first and most important photography fair in Italy, conceived and directed by Fabio Castelli which will welcome the best of Italian and international photography, through a unique format in the Italian trade fair scene, which offers a stand for each artist - each artist his own catalog.
The 2012 edition enjoyed great public success, with over 20.000 visitors – 5.000 more than in 2011. The MIA Fair public was able to admire, on an area of 8.000 m16, the works proposed by galleries and artists from 13 countries, and explore topics related to photography through 24 conferences and round tables, 38 editorial presentations and XNUMX booksignings.
As in past editions, the selection was curated by the scientific committee of MIA Fair made up of: 3/3 photography projects – Rome, research studio on the photographic image; Gigliola Foschi, curator and journalist; Elio Grazioli, contemporary art critic and curator; Roberto Mutti, curator and photographic critic; Enrica Viganò, curator, photographic critic and organizer of events related to photography.
There are many novelties for 2013, from the Collector's corner, to the section of works signed jointly by artist/printer, from reading the 'Codice MIA' portfolio to the Archive Award.
Codice MIA, an absolutely new and innovative portfolio reading of its kind, totally focused on the photographic market. Only 45 photographers, selected by the scientific committee, will be able to submit their portfolios to some of the leading international collecting experts, including Lisa K. Erf (director of the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection), Michael Benson (director of the Prix Pictet), Simone Klein (head of the photography department of Sotheby's Paris), Catherine Borissoff and Marianna Sardarova, art advisor and collector from Moscow and major American collectors such as WM Hunt, Kai Loebach, David Raymond, Holland ese Reyn Van Der Lugt and the Italians Anna Rosa and Giovanni Cotroneo and CAP – Contemporary Art Projects (Massimo Buffetti and Paolo Argliardi).
Codice MIA is a unique opportunity for artists, even already established, to meet in one place 12 of the major opinion leaders in the sector and to try to open new doors for their careers. The event will be crowned by an award to the author with the greatest personality, who will be chosen by the jury of all the experts present for his style and originality in the use of photographic language. A stand will be reserved for the winner, free of charge, in the 2014 edition of MIA Fair.
Another novelty presented by MIA Fair it will be the area dedicated to the presentation of the works created 'four hands', ie by the photographer and his printer. Always attentive to the rapid changes taking place in the globalized world of photography, MIA Fair promotes a new historical-critical reading of works in which the creativity of the photographer joins the sensitivity of the printer. In fact, the majority of authors, whether they work digitally or remain faithful to the darkroom, use the services offered by experts in one or the other technique to produce some of their works of art, who make their experience and professionalism available to achieve a common goal.
MIA Fair therefore believes that the right time has come to communicate this modus operandi which is very reminiscent of the partnership that between the late Renaissance and the XNUMXth century was established between engravers and their printers who, precisely for this reason, engraved the two signatures on the plate. The result of this critical operation will be presented for the first time at the fair, in the stands of the following pairs of artists/printers: Cleto di Giustino and Luca Buongiorno, Luca Chiaramonte and Mario Govino, Luigi Erba and Roberto Berné, Silvia Amodio and Antonio Manta, Giò Oppedisano and Antonio Manta, who will seal their works by affixing the signatures of both.
For the first time a fair will also offer L'Angolo del Collezionista, an entire area where you can find exhibitors specializing in the conservation, enhancement, lighting and protection of works, restoration experts, framing professionals and an insurance company to cover the risks of an art collection. The experts will be: ABF – Atelier for Photographic Heritage (Turin), Ciaccio Broker (Milan), Shades International (Milan), Studio Rufus Cavalli & Poli (Carpenedolo, Brescia). Furthermore, within L'Angolo del Collezionista, MIA Fair offers the consultation of some texts on the theory and history of photography, essential for anyone who wants to undertake conscious collecting.
The new edition of the International Photobook Dummy Award is also back, the prestigious award that rewards the best prototypes of photo books ready for printing (Dummy) selected by an international jury of industry experts, which last year had attracted great attention from the public. The positive feedback obtained internationally by MIA Fair led it to become the first stage for the presentation of the best 50 dummy selected in an exhibition that will subsequently visit other prestigious spaces dedicated to photography: Le Bal, in Paris and the Photobook Festival in Kassel (Germany), cultural partner of MIA Fair since the first edition.
The first prize of the International Photobook Dummy Award consists of the production of the winning volume by the German publisher Seltmann + Söhne and a presentation in the magazine European Photography, while the second and third prize winners will receive a contribution from Blurb, respectively, of 500 and 300 Euros. MIA Fair hosts the first edition of the Prize "Time found" - Photographs not to be missed, conceived by IO Donna, in collaboration with MIA Fair, Eberhard & Co., the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Cinisello Balsamo and with the patronage of the Lombardy Region.
The recognition selected the Federico Garolla archive (Naples, 1925-Milan, 2012) as the most deserving Italian archival institution dedicated to photography, rewarding it with a fund of 8.000 Euros which will have to be linked to the cataloguing, digitization and conservation of its works. The judging commission was composed of Renata Ferri, photo-editor in chief of IO Donna, Roberta Valtorta, scientific director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Cinisello Balsamo, Laura Gasparini, head of the Photo Library of the Panizzi Library in Reggio Emilia and professor of conservation of the photographic heritage at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, Lucia Miodini, professor of History of Photography at the ISIA in Urbino and works at the Study Center and Communication Archive of the University of Parma, Fabio Castelli, creator of MIA Fair.
During the opening days, MIA Fair will host an exhibition of the Federico Garolla Archive composed of 29 vintage prints made by the author himself. In particular, a nucleus will be exhibited consisting of 14 black and white images, in the 30×40 cm format, of the "Garibaldi itinerary from Quarto to Volturno" project, which illustrates, with an attentive eye to society, the urban and landscape changes of Italy of that period that Garolla documented following the journey made by Giuseppe Garibaldi from Marsala to northern Italy. Also this year BNL BNP Paribas Group, reinforcing its interest in the development of contemporary art in Italy, confirms the purchase award of a work selected by the jury. Ferrarelle presents two exhibitions dedicated to as many masters of Italian photography: Mario De Biasi and Giovanni Gastel.
The works of Mario De Biasi (Belluno, 1923), one of the most important Italian photojournalists, were born in 2004 when, working on one of his many projects – that of hearts – he used the corks of Ferrarelle bottles to compose one. From these images emerges the vision of an artist who, using his own curiosity, manages to create dreamlike atmospheres with poor and unusual materials. The photographs by Giovanni Gastel (Milan, 1955) belong to the charity initiative, supported by Ferrarelle, in favor of the association Little Prince non-profit organization in Milan, to raise public awareness on the subject of child abuse and violence. The exhibition offers some portraits of children with their faces covered, in an attempt to hide and at the same time to escape the violence suffered in order to be able to look at their lives with a new face, transformed and finally happy.
With her support for MIA Fair, Francesca Lavazza, an attentive collector, confirms the link with art photography to represent the identity of her company. Polaroid Eyewear promotes the artistic project born and developed in collaboration with Maurizio Galimberti. It is an exhibition of 16 'photomosaics' by Maurizio Galimberti portraying eight Milanese characters: a chef, a model, a gallery owner, a newsagent, a journalist, an entrepreneur, a singer and an architect. MIA Fair devotes great attention to the photographic book. The publishing sector, curated by 3/3, will host 46 exhibitors including specialized bookstores, large publishers, independent publishers and self-publishers, the Photobook Dummy Award exhibition, three dedicated conferences, as well as a busy program of editorial presentations, booksignings and much more.
From this year, the basement, the large central area, below pavilion 4, becomes one space devoted entirely to independent and research publishing: 0-100 Editions, 1%ofONE VERLAG, Aalphabeth, Avarie Publishing, Bartleby & Co., bicigi photography / benedetta cestelli guidi, CESURA Publish, Crowdbooks Publishing, dienacht publishing, Quodlibet, Le caillou bleu, Material Verlag, Mörel books, Piergiorgio Casotti – Arctic Spleen, Poursuite Editions, Rumore Nero, Salvatore Santoro – Greetings from Pinetamare, Talkina ss and Verba Volant. Next to the stands will be the exhibition of the first 50 dummies selected by the Photobook Dummy Award of the International Photobook Festival in Kassel.
The area of Aperture Foundation, one of MIA Fair's media partners, will be designed as a reading space, where Photobook Review, the new Aperture magazine entirely dedicated to the best photographic books, will be presented. In Pavilion 4 of the MIA Fair it will be possible to admire artists' books and collector's books and the productions of the most important Italian and foreign publishing houses specialized in photography and more, thanks to the presence of 20th Century Art Archives, Contrasto, Danilo Montanari Editore, Dueeotto, Editrice Quinlan, Edizioni Henry Beyle, Giorgio Maffei, HF Distribuzione, IF Libri, Johan & Levi Editore, L'Arengario Studio Bibliografico, Le Plac'Art Photo, Libre ria Antiquaria Coenobium, Libreria Martincigh, objective books, Only photography, Peliti Associati, Postcart, Skira, Studio Montespecchio, Vittorio Scanferla.
Another new feature is Focus publishing: the Dutch corner, a section reserved for Dutch publishing which sees the exceptional presence of Dutch Doc, Foam Editions, Foam Magazine, Fotografen Federatie, Fw:Books, Onomatopee Publisher, post editions, Van Zoetendaal. In continuity with the other editions and after the great results obtained, the MIA Proposal section will be active again, within which you will find the works of artists who present themselves without the support of galleries. The intent of MIA Fair is to propose photographers selected by its Scientific Committee, offering galleries the opportunity to get in touch with new proposals.
Out of about 25 artists in each edition, over 50% of them presented themselves the following year, represented by a gallery: this is the case, among others, of Nunzio Battaglia – Bugno Art Gallery (2012), Alessandro Belgiojoso – SpazioFarini 6 (2012), Marco Betocchi – Romberg Contemporary Art (2013), Mario Daniele – Galleria Gallerati (2012) and Con-Temporary art Paola Sosio (2013), Marco Glaviano – Edward Cut ler (2013), Giulia Marchi – The Choice by Guido Cabib (2013), Gianluca Maver – RB fine art (2012), Fausto Meli – SpazioFarini 6 (2013), Piero Mollica – Gianpiero Biasutti Contemporary Art (2012) Riccardo Costantini Contemporary (2013), Pierpaolo Pitacco – Sabrina Raffaghello Contemporary Art (2012) – The Format by Guido Cabib (2013 ), Giuseppe Ripa – Romberg Contemporary Art (2012-2013), Andrea Rovatti – Galleria Blanchaert (2012), Maurizio Sapia – Die Mauer (2012 – 2013), Gianna Spirito – Dadaeast Gallery (2013), Riccardo Varini – SpazioFarini 6 (2013).
Rimmel London, world leader company in the cosmetology sector, participates in MIA Fair with its own stand. Inside it will present some shots that Stefano Guindani, one of the most popular fashion photographers, made for the second edition of Rimmel CAB. During the week of the Salone del Mobile, the initiative saw a real London taxi go around Milan in search of more expressive female gazes. These photos will be sold during MIA Fair and the proceeds will be entirely donated to the Francesca Rava Foundation - NPH Italia, a non-profit organization dedicated to disadvantaged children, supporting in particular the Neonatology Department of the pediatric hospital NPH Saint Damien in poor Haiti.
MIA Fair – Milan Image Art Fair 2013
Milan, Superstudio Più (Via Tortona, 27)
FROM 10 TO 12 MAY 2013
Timetables:
Friday 10 May from 11.00 to 21.00
Saturday May from 11 11.00 to 21.00
Sunday May from 12 10.00 to 20.00
Information
