Luisa Papotti / Photo Giorgio Perottino

Since 2022 Luisa Papotti has been the president of Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, an Italian foundation that, since 2000, has its main mission of supporting the arts. The Foundation does this through collaborations with museums and institutions, though the acquisition of modern and contemporary artworks and the development of new projects, constantly looking to the future with the goal of connecting different audiences to contemporary art. The Foundation has its roots in Turin and in the region of Piedmont, Italy. The main activity of the Foundation is to enrich its collection and share it with the main institutions on the territory, in particular with GAM – Galleria Civica di Arte Moderna di Torino, and Castello di Rivoli – Museum of Contemporary Art. The Foundation is also collaborating with OGR Torino, working on projects that connect new technologies and contemporary art, trying to experiment with the most recent innovation in the field and to develop a synergy with the cultural realities of the area. We sat down with Luisa Papotti and had the opportunity to speak with her.

All the artworks presented here belong to the collection of Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT. The collection is made of more than 900 artworks and 300 artists and it is one of the most important and renowned art collections in the world, always shared with the community through loans to other institutions and exhibitions worldwide.

Luigi Ghirri, Brest (2), 1972

Francesco Jodice, Montevideo, 2001

Ferdinando Scianna, Libano, Beirut. Miliziano cristiano, 1976

BEATRICE SACCO: As the president of a Foundation supporting modern and contemporary art, how would you describe your role and the impact would you like to bring to the current contemporary art world?

LUISA PAPOTTI: The Foundation’s mission is to promote the culture of contemporary art, with the aim of promoting the growth and development of our territory in a sustainable direction compatible with the objectives of the 2030 agenda. The main objective is to increase the impact of our intervention, working not only for the enrichment of the collections but for education and training and the growth of skills.

Francesco Gennari, Autoritratto su menta (con camicia bianca), 2020

Gianni Berengo Gardin, Berlino, 1982

Richard Bell, U Can’t Touch This, 2021

The Foundation has developed a collection of modern and contemporary art during the years, starting with the acquisition of a large collection of works related to Arte Povera. How did you decide to structure and continue the collection? Which artworks and artists are you interested in now?

Past and future acquisitions certainly contribute to the formation of an important collection. Yet, the uniqueness of this collection lies in the fact that it was created and formed to serve and complement the collections of the two major territorial museums, the Castello di Rivoli and GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea of Turin. As a result, we acquire – and will continue to acquire – the works that museum directors recommend to us, considering them necessary both to complete the existing collections and to keep them contemporary and alive.

Uliano Lucas, Manifesto pubblicitario in Piazza della Scala, Milano, 1991

Carol Rama, Nonna Carolina, 1936

Melania Comoretto, Alexis (18), 2005

What do you think should be the relationship between art and new technologies? I know your Foundation supported many projects in partnership with OGR, related to NFT at first and now connected to the Metaverse. Can you give us your impression of the impact of these technologies and their use related to contemporary art?

The Foundation has supported a project focused on the relationship between art and new technologies, Beyond Production, which this year is about to conclude with a third edition in Artissima, and that has investigated and experimented with digital art and Metaverse paths, with results of significant interest. Over the centuries, art has always used and often promoted new technologies, making the most of their potential. In our 21st century, however, these technologies bring art into an immaterial dimension for the first time; what follows is an extraordinary potential for diffusion and immediacy of communication, something authentically new.

Stefano Arienti, Fuori registro, 2017

Nicolò Cecchella, Marsia, 2015

Allan Kaprow, Pose, Carrying Through the City, 1970

As a huge lover of artists’ books, I was delighted to read that you recently acquired the Giorgio Maffei collection, one of the biggest Italian collectors of artists’ books, deceased a couple of years ago. What plans do you have with this important collection? How do you plan to develop it and present it to the public?

The Maffei Collection is on loan to the GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea of Turin and is available for consultation in the Museum library. Furthermore, this allows GAM to make use of the collection as a base for their exhibitions or events.

Mimmo Jodice, Roman Boy, 2001

Tancredi, Diario paesano, 1961

Hito Steyerl, Hell Yeah We Fuck Die, 2016

You are in contact with the biggest institutions and art organizations in the city of Turin. How does your relationship of exchange and support work?

Turin has a solid tradition of institutional collaboration, and in the field of contemporary art is no exception; we work in support of the main museums but also of all initiatives aimed at contemporary art, and we promote very open and flexible forms of collaboration, operating through contributions, but also through agreements towards common goals.

Ugo Mulas, Bar Giamaica, Milano (2), 1953

Sissi, Cena rapace, 2009

Pietro Moretti, La visita, un’altra visita, 2022

Pipilotti Rist, Cinquante Fifty (Installation for Parcking Lot), 2000

Your background is in architecture, another important pillar in contemporary art. How was your initial approach to the world of contemporary art and how were you able to unite and enhance one side with the other?

I am an architect, yet my activity has always taken place within the Ministry of Culture, which has had a General Management for contemporary art and Architecture for many years, with whom I have had many opportunities to collaborate. Then, the supervision had the wherewithal to safeguard contemporary artworks through management and oversight of trade and exhibitions. In this way, contemporary art was not a new world for me.

What plans do you have for the immediate future of the Foundation?

We are consolidating the administration and management with the intent to enhance supporting programs for the contemporary art system through new and impactful operations….

Luisa Papotti / Interview
President of Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT
Interviewed by Beatrice Sacco