Art and Intimacy in Modern Italy
Presentation and workshop

June 7, 17:00-19:00. Milan
Libreria delle donne

With Sharon Hecker, anthology editor, art historian and curator
Teresa Kittler, anthology editor and Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of York
Giorgia Basch, Director of BilderAtlas

Program

Taking Art and Intimacy in Modern Italy, edited by Sharon Hecker and Teresa Kittler as a point of departure, the workshop invites us to reflect on artistic practice from a relational perspective, and on the value of affective relationships as a lens through which to examine art history as well as artistic and curatorial practice – at the Libreria delle donne di Milano, a key space for Italian feminism and its association with art.

Art and Intimacy in Modern Italy foregrounds the intimate, collaborative, and affective relationships that shaped postwar Italian art. Through case studies of couples, families, friendships, and transcultural alliances (among them, Anna Piva and Giulio Paolini, Mario and Marisa Merz, Pietro Consagra and Carla Lonzi, Lea Vergine and Enzo Mari), the volume rethinks authorship, artistic production, and identity. Organized into three thematic sections – Shadowy Presences, Ins and Outs, and Alliances – it explores how  emotional ties impacted visual art, criticism, design, and performance. Asking after themes of gender, sexuality, and race, it offers fresh perspectives on Italian modernity, revealing overlooked figures and dynamics that complicate conventional narratives of twentieth-century art history. One of the key problems that is posed by the volume is the lasting implication of this perspective for art history. What does it mean for our readings of artistic practice? We would like to open the discussion to the attendees of the workshop and welcome their shared experiences in response to these themes.

Held by the book’s editors Sharon Hecker and Teresa Kittler, introduced by Giorgia Basch. With the participation of Carla Subrizi, Ilaria Sgaravatto, Gloria Boeri, and Giulia Schirripa.

The workshop will be held in English and Italian.