COLLECTING THE 1900s

Claudia Gian Ferrari (Milan 1945 – 2010) was an important protagonist of the Italian artistic scene. In the gallery she ran for almost thirty years, after the death of her father in 1982, she contributed to reappraise the Italian art between the wars through her display activities and in her role as art historian, compiling catalogues concerning artists of the calibre of Sironi, martini, and Pirandello. Also known as a collector, Claudia gathered significant works from the 20th century, including pieces by emerging artists.

This exhibition presents to the public museum’s new arrivals, here thanks to the generosity of the Gian Ferrari family. In addition to the nucleus of works from the second half of the 20th century by Fontana, Manzoni, Agnetti, Merz and Zorio, the exhibition includes the connected archive of the historic Galleria Gian Ferrari, source of letters, photographs and publications prepared by the gallery. More than a hundred clothes that belonged to Claudia have also been donated to the fashion museum Palazzo Morando Costume Moda, Immagine. The gallery’s history is narrated by paintings and sculptures that best represent Claudia’s collecting orientation in line with the choices that prevailed during the period when she managed the gallery. Finally, the last sections are reserved for two contemporary artists who were in personal and direct relationship with Claudia: Claudio Parmiggiani and Luigi Ontani.