Italics Italian Art Between Tradition And Revolution 1968 2008

Published by Electa and with graphic design by Christoph Radl, the volume contains 200 colour illustrations and covers more than 150 works by artists who have been – and continue to be – leading figures in Italian art as it has developed over the last forty years.

In its analysis of this period, the book provides a new portrait of contemporary Italian art, taking us on a journey that starts with the political and cultural rupture of 1968 to then continue through the turbulent and often contradictory years that have produced Italy as it is today. All this is illustrated by the works of numerous artists, some well-known, some newcomers, some unjustly forgotten and ignored. The critical essays (first section) analyse artistic currents and trends within the historical, sociological and cultural context that generated them. With disabused irony, Francesco Bonami, Guido Guerzoni, Giuliano da Empoli, Francesco Manacorda and Paola Nicolin chart how contemporary art has been appreciated and ‘consumed’ by Italians and tourists alike since 1968.

The central section of the catalogue presents the works selected for the show by the curator Francesco Bonami. These range from pieces by such historically-established figures as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Gilberto Zorio and Mario Merz, to work by the likes of Patrick Tuttofuoco, Ra di Martino and Paola Pivi, each a leading figure on the contemporary art scene both within Italy and abroad.

The third part of the catalogue contains a chronology that summarises historical, political, social and cultural events year by year from 1968 onwards, thus outlining the contexts which nourished and inspired the art in the show.

The book ends with a biography of each of the artists in the exhibition.