Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo: A Collecting Story
An interview with Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, the 'Lady of contemporary art', who is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of her Turin foundation and the opening of the spot in Madrid, which reveals a treasure chest from times past
Your collection of precious jewels shows great passion. What does it stem from?
Collecting is part of my dna. As a child, I collected pill boxes, cataloguing them in a small notebook. I've been collecting American bijoux since the 1980s when I was struck by the appeal of vintage and the lure of the shapes. They inspired instant excitement in me, which grew when I began studying their history, which goes back to 1930s America. I prefer the styles from right after the depression until the early 1970s, with peaks up until now.
Is there a stone you are partial to?
I love sapphires for their deep reflections of cornflower blue and their shine, which pulsates under light, differently from how diamonds sparkle.
Is there a link between jewelry and contemporary art?
Art has always been a source of great inspiration even for jewelry. Jewelers got ideas from the works of Futurism artists. Even artists are taken with the allure of jewelry, giving life to the famous 'artist jewels': Pablo Picasso, Salvator Dalì, Lucio Fontana, Alexander Calder, Pietro Consagra, Anish Kapoor and Maurizio Cattellan, just to name a few.
Collecting is part of my dna. As a child, I collected pill boxes, cataloguing them in a small notebook. I've been collecting American bijoux since the 1980s when I was struck by the appeal of vintage and the lure of the shapes. They inspired instant excitement in me, which grew when I began studying their history, which goes back to 1930s America. I prefer the styles from right after the depression until the early 1970s, with peaks up until now.
Is there a stone you are partial to?
I love sapphires for their deep reflections of cornflower blue and their shine, which pulsates under light, differently from how diamonds sparkle.
Is there a link between jewelry and contemporary art?
Art has always been a source of great inspiration even for jewelry. Jewelers got ideas from the works of Futurism artists. Even artists are taken with the allure of jewelry, giving life to the famous 'artist jewels': Pablo Picasso, Salvator Dalì, Lucio Fontana, Alexander Calder, Pietro Consagra, Anish Kapoor and Maurizio Cattellan, just to name a few.
After 20 years of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, you’ve begun a project in Madrid.
Madrid is a European capital, a bridge to Latin America, which is an increasingly important continent in contemporary art. Since my first visit, I've been in love with Matadero, its fascinating architecture and dynamic and bustling community. With the inception of Fundaciòn Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Madrid, we'll experiment and cultivate the model we've used to support young artists and promote awareness of contemporary art and its social role in Turin.
Can you give us a preview of what's on the calendar for 2018?
In March 2018, we'll present the 'Anche le Statue Muoiono' collective, which reflects on the destruction of artistic and archeological heritages. In June, we are doing 'Tell Me a Story', a contemporary art collective from Southeast Asia, in collaboration with RAM Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai. And starting in March, RAM will be showing the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection. In November, we'll be showing Rachel Rose's solo exhibition in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Can you reveal to us which are the emerging artists we should keep an eye on?
I'm keeping a close eye on the work of Ludovica Carbotta and Manuele Cerutti among the new generations of Turin artists. In Italy, I appreciate the work of Yuri Ancarani, Tomaso De Luca, Pietro Roccasalva, Roberto Cuoghi and Paola Pivi. Rachel Rose, Ed Atkins, Ian Cheng, Guan Xiao, Andra Ursuta and Alicja Kwade are some international artists I've recently collaborated with or have purchased from.
Madrid is a European capital, a bridge to Latin America, which is an increasingly important continent in contemporary art. Since my first visit, I've been in love with Matadero, its fascinating architecture and dynamic and bustling community. With the inception of Fundaciòn Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Madrid, we'll experiment and cultivate the model we've used to support young artists and promote awareness of contemporary art and its social role in Turin.
Can you give us a preview of what's on the calendar for 2018?
In March 2018, we'll present the 'Anche le Statue Muoiono' collective, which reflects on the destruction of artistic and archeological heritages. In June, we are doing 'Tell Me a Story', a contemporary art collective from Southeast Asia, in collaboration with RAM Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai. And starting in March, RAM will be showing the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection. In November, we'll be showing Rachel Rose's solo exhibition in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Can you reveal to us which are the emerging artists we should keep an eye on?
I'm keeping a close eye on the work of Ludovica Carbotta and Manuele Cerutti among the new generations of Turin artists. In Italy, I appreciate the work of Yuri Ancarani, Tomaso De Luca, Pietro Roccasalva, Roberto Cuoghi and Paola Pivi. Rachel Rose, Ed Atkins, Ian Cheng, Guan Xiao, Andra Ursuta and Alicja Kwade are some international artists I've recently collaborated with or have purchased from.
