Ileana Sonnabend was one of the greatest and most influential discoverers of artistic talent in the second half of the 20th century, renowned for her intuition, strength of character, visionary foresight, and eclectic taste and thinking that enabled her to understand and promote the new in American and European art. Her extraordinary collection, amassed over many years dedicated to supporting young artists and avant-gardes of the 20th century, now finds a "European home" in the splendid monumental halls on the second floor of the International Gallery of Modern Art at Ca' Pesaro.
The exhibition, the first step in a long-term collaboration with the Sonnabend Collection and the Sonnabend Collection Foundation, represents an extraordinary opportunity to enrich the city's 20th-century art collections, complementing Ca' Pesaro's permanent exhibition with works from Ileana Sonnabend's collection. This will offer the public a more comprehensive and enriched itinerary through the masterpieces of 20th-century art history.
Thus, The Sonnabend Collection picks up where Ca' Pesaro's collecting adventure left off, continuing its relationship with the Biennale, guiding visitors through a path of high artistic quality across the major experimental languages of the second half of the 20th century, featuring over 70 iconic works from that era. The exhibition includes well-known masterpieces such as Jasper Johns' "Figure 8" from 1959 and "Interior (Combine painting)" from 1956, Robert Rauschenberg's "Payload" (1962) and "Kite" (1963), an artist whom Ileana, alongside Leo Castelli and Alan Solomon, helped bring to the Venice Biennale in 1964, where Rauschenberg won the Grand Prize for Painting.
Alongside these masters are prominent figures of Pop Art: Jim Dine with two beautiful works, Claes Oldenburg's "Roast Beef," Roy Lichtenstein's famous "Little Aloha" (1962), James Rosenquist's "Balcony" (1961), Tom Wesselman's "Still life #45" and "Seascape #14," and notably Andy Warhol with an incredible collection of eight works including "Nine Jackies" (1964) and "Triple Rauschenberg," "Campbell's Soup Can (Turkey Noodle)," both from 1962. The exhibition concludes with a large room dedicated to Minimal Art, reflecting Ileana's seemingly contrasting passions, featuring significant works from the 1960s by the movement's pioneers Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, and Robert Morris, with their sculptures composed of elementary geometric forms, single or repeated, crafted from industrial materials of choice.
In collaboration with Sonnabend Collection, New York Curated by Gabriella Belli With scientific support from Antonio Homem and Nina Sundell.
From May 31 to September 29, 2013 / EXTENDED UNTIL NOVEMBER 25, 2013 Ca' Pesaro, International Gallery of Modern Art, Venice
May 31, 2013
