Cultural line

The Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella , with its institutional endeavour as a Foundation, keeps its aim to pursue public utilities in cultural fields, in particular in the artistic context and in the study of art and proposes beside the permanent collection a new program of temporary exhibitions from 2007.

On September 20th, 2002, the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli opened in a new space designed by the architect , the five floor structure houses at the top floor “the Scrigno” an extraordinary collection of art dating from between the eighteenth and the twentieth century from Giovanni and Marella Agnelli’s private collection; the other levels host the temporary exhibitions. Thanks both to , President and Marcella Pralormo director of the Pinacoteca, the Foundation continues in its objective and, from 2007, puts forward a series of exhibitions and events dedicated to the theme of collecting in order to supply new cues of knowledge, analysis and study to all visitors, from students of all ages and fields to a wider public. Focusing therefore its attention on different aspects linked to collecting, the Pinacoteca Giovanni and Marella Agnelli wants to reinforce its identity as a private museum opened to the public: a manifestation of the will of its founders. The objective is to supply new ways of reading works hosted in public and private collections, inducing to reflect not exclusively on their aesthetic quality, but also on the function and the meaning that they have for the collector and the collection to which they belong. Such objectives are consistent with the nature of the Pinacoteca that was created from the will of private collectors to make their private choice public and to transmit joy and passion for art. The exhibitions, realized in collaboration with the main Italian and foreign museums, private and public collections, intend to analyze the phenomenon of collecting in all its multiple aspects, both from a chronological and thematic point of view.

Different kinds of collections will be showed in order to investigate the taste and personality of a collector. A collection – says Ginevra Elkann – often tells a story: the one of passion, love, and obsession. Sometimes it represents an entire life, a search, many adventures, a particular taste or vision. We are committed to look into the different faces of collecting, showing collections of varied natures, significant for their sentimental, historical or esthetical value, which is a chance for us to offer the possibility of knowing through the pleasure of beauty.

The first initiative dedicated to the new cultural program has been the exhibition “Royal Fragility”, dedicated to the porcelain of Capodimonte, that featured beyond 200 objects of the production of and Capodimonte, promoted and financed respectively by Carlo and Ferdinando of Bourbon. On October 2007 “Why Africa? The Pigozzi Collection” in its Italian première exhibited the most important private collection of contemporary African Art. The program of 2008 began with the exhibition “Adventures with objects. Alexander von Vegesack collecting design” that traced the history of 20th century design and continues on October 2008, with “Prehistory to the future”, highlights from the collection of renowned collector and gallery owner Bruno Bischofberger. On 2010 the Pinacoteca has presented the first-ever Italian exhibition of The Museum of Everything: a private collection of art by self-taught artists working outside the confines of modern society; reveals their private inspiration in an installation of over 300 paintings, sculptures, drawings and environments. On Autumn 2010-2011 the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli featured a new kind of patronage to with CHINA POWER STATION Contemporary Chinese Art from the Astrup Fearnley Collection, after producing the exhibition China Power Station in its entirety, the Astrup Fearnley then decided to acquire it and make it part of its permanent collection.

The Six-legged Dog exhibition (April – May 2011), curated by eni’s historical archive looked into a corporate collection.

In Autumn 2011 The Urethra Postcard Art of Gilbert&George, the first ever exhibition dedicated exclusively to the postal art of Gilbert & George, who start collecting postcard from the late ’60. On show over 130 of THE URETHRA POSTCARD PICTURES in addition to early examples of Gilbert & George’s Postal Sculpture dating back to the late 1960s, to document to those early fabulous moments of the "Living Sculpture".

Quilling. Devotional creations from cloistered orders (5 April – 2 September 2012), presents a selection of the most significant examples of paper scrollwork or quilling from private collections, gathering together around 150 incredibly intricate compositions for the first time, including works from the private collection of the American photographer Nan Goldin, who will be presenting photographs taken especially for the event.

Reference Library

Open everyday from Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 7pm a reference library dedicated to the theme of collecting. It provides all the documentary resources needed for investigation and study of the cultural, conceptual and technical foundations of art collecting. Users will be able to select the tools best suited to their research projects: consulting the collection of books, with open-shelf access, composed of monographs, exhibition catalogues, auction catalogues, magazines and essays on the theme of art collecting, or widening the bibliographic range by using computer workstations with Internet connection. For information [email protected]

In addition the Pinacoteca organizes a series of lectures, conversations, book presentations, related to the temporary exhibition.

Educational activities

In the spaces of the Pinacoteca are organized educational programs that preview laboratories and activities turned to the schools of every field of study; every Sunday guided visits are proposed on the temporary exhibition along with on the artists and on works of the permanent collection. Guided tours on request.

Web Site

The web site www.pinacoteca-agnelli.it is daily update

Log in on Press Area to download press kit and high resolution images and press kit of past exhibition.