Mazzoleni, 15 Old Bond Street, London, W1S 4AX
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Mazzoleni was founded on the back of private collecting by Giovanni and Anna Pia Mazzoleni in Turin in 1986. There it occupies two floors of Palazzo Panizza, overlooking the central square. The gallery opened a London space in 2014, initially at ground level on Albermarle Street, now less visibly on the first floor of 15 Old Bond Street – but staying when several Italian dealers departed post-Brexit. It’s worth seeking out, as the exhibitions are of a high standard – well considered, and often accompanied by a scholarly catalogue. As a rule, they feature or depart from the most prominent post-war Italian artists: Mazzoleni represents the estate of Agostino Bonalumi, and has often shown such as Fontana, Burri, Castellani and Manzoni. But it’s not only the obvious names: the photographs of Massimo Vitali and Oliviero Toscani, and the multi-media work of Marinella Senatore also feature; nor is it Italian only, with the Brazilian Iran do Espírito Santo and the American Melissa McGill providing two of this decade’s London programme highlights.
The current ‘Mythology Reinterpreted’ neatly combines all those characteristics. The theme is ‘a journey through ancient inspiration in modern and contemporary art’. Persuasive connections are made between an Ancient Roman memorial plaque and the early 70’s gravestone works of Salvo – more fashionable nowadays for his turn from conceptualism to painting; and 2000-year old Roman statues are paired with paintings by Georgio de Chirico and an installation by Giulio Paolini. Non-Italian content is added through the Mexican, Jorge Méndez Blake. A dozen works turn out to cover a lot of ground! Next up is an exploration of Arte Povera…
London’s gallery scene is varied, from small artist-run spaces to major institutions and everything in between. Each week, art writer and curator Paul Carey-Kent gives a personal view of a space worth visiting.
