“Italics: Italian Art Between Tradition and Revolution, 1968–2008”
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (MCA Chicago)
220 East Chicago Avenue
September 1–November 1
Palazzo Grassi
Campo San Samuele, 3231
July 23–January 11
Curated by Francesco Bonami
It might have been simpler to subtitle this survey of forty years of Italian art “From Arte Povera Until Now.” After all, 1968 was hardly a turning point in Italian art, as Merz, Pistoletto, Boetti, and Co. had already produced the work that Germano Celant hailed as arte povera in his famous manifesto of the previous year. This show, then, can only be about the aftereffects of that burst of creativity, and a rich and fascinating story it is, too. Presenting nearly 250 works by more than one hundred artists may mean sacrificing depth for breadth, but it should let the clamorous vitality that continues to animate the Italian scene come through loud and clear.
