Art of the Treasure Hunt 2019

Mostra di opere di importanti artisti contemporanei nelle migliori cantine del Chianti.

Comunicato stampa

For the opening, special performances by the Joan Baixas Company (Barcelona) in Castello di Brolio and Felsina and Yahon Chang (Taiwan) in Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
Showcasing works of leading contemporary artists in Chianti’s top wineries,
Art of the Treasure Hunt 2019, in its fourth edition, brings together 17 artists from eight countries.

Martin Creed. Work No. 895: Feelings, 2008. Multi-coloured neon. 15 x 110 cm. Courtesy Galleria Lorcan O’Neill.

In the global world of instant gratification, Martin Creed (UK) reassures us with his iconic phrases, Don’t Worry, Everything is Going to Be Alright, Feelings, etc. He will make new work especially for the Borgo San Felice chapel. Turner prize winner (in 2001), Creed’s work No. 1197, heralded the start of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Castello di Brolio, home to the Ricasoli family since 1200 will host an in situ work by Richard Long (USA). This new work pays homage to Tuscany. His sculpture using resourced stones from the region to recall their churches with black and white architectural constructions speaks volumes of Italian history. Yan Pei Ming speaks of Italian history with a painting of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III and great collector and patron of the arts, displayed within the historic Castello di Brolio, along with Zheng Zhou’s paintings that oscillate between the figurative and the abstract.

Glancing over the shoulders of history, Lucy Stein's (UK) works are a result of her “research into witchcraft, goddess culture and heraldic imagery from the Middle Ages" made in the kilns of Cornwall; displayed at Castello di Volpaia.
Liz Deschenes’ conceptual minimal works are displayed in the chapel of Villa di Geggiano.

Natalie du Pasquier, a founding member of Memphis, will display her ceramic sculpture in Felsina. Since 1987 she moved from design to painting and sculpture. In the Felsina chapel, Raqib Shaw's (Kashmir, India) intense introspective paintings talk of his past in a land that is imagined and remembered in a sanctuary of contemplation. Osvaldo González’s two recurrent themes are the History of art and memory with the use of light as a recurring component. His medium are the materials that he can find in Cuba; limited access of art materials in Cuba defines a generation of artistic expression in present day Cuba. Augustas Serapinas (Lithuania) uses the art of the interiors of chapels and churches in his works to evoke their past in his present day work. He is the youngest participant in this year’s main exhibition of the Venice Biennale, May You Live in Interesting Times, curated by Ralph Rugoff.

Bob Wilson's permanent Traviata light sculpture in the Borgo San Felice chapel shares the space with works by Su- Mei Tse that capture her dreams and Eric Baudart’s “hand-made” painted canvases that each tell a different story. The young Franco-Chinese artist, Luc Ming Yan, is seemingly influenced by the technique of calligraphy in his abstract paintings that evolve from a controlled art form towards expressionism.

Mark Handforth’s pop appropriated horse shoe sculptures are at Castello di Brolio and Borgo San Felice. Edson Chagas (Angola) portrays his compatriots with photographic ceremonial images of African history reworked in today’s vision. In 2013, the Golden Lion for best national pavilion was awarded to Angola, represented by Chagas.

Yan Pei Ming and Su-Mei Tse are from China yet live in Djion and Berlin respectively while Natalie du Pasquier from France lives in Milan. Raqib Shaw is from Kashmir and works and lives in Peckham (London) while Mark Handforth who was born in Hong Kong now lives in Miami. This no longer comes as a surprise as we live in a global world. A fortune teller talks of the future based on the past. Where are the stories in historical settings of these artists from? In a global world, "from where comes your voice?”

On June 27th Art of the Treasure Hunt opens at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence with a special performance by Yahon Chang (Taiwan). The art of calligraphy is based on meditation, endurance and poetry. It is a departure and reference point of an abstract form of language. Calligraphy is considered the highest art form by the Chinese and the oldest language in the world. Yahon Chang’s work is shown at Castello di Brolio and Felsina. Chang participated in a Venice Biennale collateral event in 2015.

Chianti home to five chosen boutique wineries hosts each summer Art of the Treasure Hunt. For the past 304 years, the Chianti classic region has been perfecting the art of wine. The above wineries have points of 90 and above in global wine ratings. Wine Spectator selected Volpaia Chianti Classico Reserva 2015 third out of 100 best wines in the world for 2018, while Borgo San Felice is in 11th place.

The Art of the Treasure Hunt is produced by Luziah Hennessy.

Participating Wineries in Chianti Classico
Castello di Brolio Castello di Volpaia Borgo San Felice Felsina
Villa di Geggiano

Participating Foundations and Galleries
Galleria Apalazzo, Brescia
Galleria Continua, San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins/Habana
Edouard Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong/Shanghai
Galleria Franco Noero, Torino Galleria Lorcan O’Neill, Roma Campoli Presti Gallery, London/Paris Galerie Gregor Staiger, Zurich
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London/Paris/Salzburg