When the time came to choose a name for the gallery, I instinctively opted for ARTETOTALE because this name brings together the various aspects that art assumes; even though the term could seem self-important, to us it suggests that art is peremptory, an aesthetic proposal that imposes itself in an absolute, sometimes an arrogant manner, at other times softly, but always firmly and precisely.
Within the group of art lovers that was created, I deal with carpets, an art dating back thousands of years but which in the West, unfortunately, is not considered an art form; my intention is to make the pieces of my more daring collections interact with the works of contemporary art; to create a dialogue between a culture made of icons and symbols that is thousands of years old and the themes of modern art. In the same way I want to encourage the artists of the gallery, chosen for their versatility, to measure themselves against the ancient techniques of carpet knotting and maybe make works of art which draw their inspiration from the patterns of the carpets.
Fabio MorandiWe heard about the idea of a total work of art, or rather of “Gesamtkunstwerk”, in well-known fields more than a century ago through people such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele who, moved by the idea of creating a total work of art, came together in an autonomous group (the so-called Viennese Secession) to design, paint and decorate in view of a complete fusion of the arts.
Wagner, starting from the idea of a total work, also theorized a musical concept that was the synthesis of poetry, drama, music and visual arts. One of the figures of his musical language was the counterpoint, the combination of independent melodic lines. It is perhaps this very point against point which inspires the name “Galleria Artetotale”. The idea of a place that can welcome human work that has an intrinsic aesthetic value, that is to say everything that makes wisdom of a thought, instinct, desire.
Chiara Trivelli
The Gallery came into being with the aim of introducing art into daily life, to make it accessible and as it is imagined, but never out of date or place within an environment.
From this came the idea of a multifunctional space in which to dynamically introduce different works, exploiting their synergy, dialectics and unexpected harmony.
A space within which different works and languages contaminate each other to create a story, a history; colours, images and shapes blend to reveal an unusual or simply hidden view, amazing us with the harmony of the various art forms.
At a time when there is an excess of information, where adverts replace in-depth study and speed in any sector becomes the standard for a positive judgement, the Gallery’s aim is to return to a space where you can stand around, savouring a little extra time to observe, wonder at or simply abandon yourself to looking at art.
Artists from different backgrounds, poetics and training will enter into a dialogue with the striking patterns of the carpets, revealing different stories weaved together of what is contemporary, in a continuous mixing of identities, of the contradictions of the present and the charm of the past.
A space, therefore, in which time is suspended, where you can give yourself up to the sensitivity that is hidden away in art or become passionate about a work, an artist, a colour; a space where what art suggests can be appreciated and lived in daily life.
The Gallery as a meeting place of cultures and different stories; a visual synthesis of art that is constantly moving between history and the present time.
