4th edition of Milano Drawing Week, nine days of art on paper

The Collezione Ramo presents the fourth edition of Milano Drawing Week, a 13-stage journey dedicated to drawing, including contemporary artists and masters of the last century. For nine days, works on paper take center stage in a series of exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout Milan's urban network.

The Collezione Ramo, Italian Drawing of the 20th and 21st Centuries , presents, from Saturday , November 23 to Sunday, December 1, 2024, the fourth edition of Milano Drawing Week, an annual event realized in collaboration with and under the patronage of theDepartment of Culture of the City of Milan. The project takes shape in a constellation of exhibitions spread throughout the Milanese territory, presenting the work of historicized artists, active on the current scene or emerging, with the aim of enhancing the production on paper and promoting its knowledge among an increasingly wide audience.

The project formula calls for the Collezione Ramo to open up to the city, making available to cultural institutions and galleries a selection of works on paper by 20th-century Italian artists. Artists of different origins and generations, active in the field of drawing, are invited to choose a work from this nucleus coming from the Collezione Ramo, to be placed in dialogue with their own research within one of the 13 spaces involved.The aim is to make the great historical and artistic heritage guarded by the Collection dialogue with the instances that nourish current research, while also offering the public an opportunity to delve into a little-visible medium that unites creatives of all disciplines, capable of speaking with immediacy to the entire public.

The route of Milano Drawing Week 2024 involves 3 civic institutions such as Castello Sforzesco and, for the first time,the Cittadella degli Archivi of the City of Milan and Casa degli Artisti, joined by 10 art galleries from Milan and beyond: Ciaccia Levi, kaufmann repetto, Loom Gallery, Monica De Cardenas, Nashira Gallery, Settantaventidue, Spazio Lima, Vistamare, with the special participation of APALAZZOGALLERY from Brescia and Ex Elettrofonica from Rome, two galleries that for the first time participate by finding hospitality in the city.

Milan Drawing Week presents the work of artists Alexandra Barth (Malacky, Slovakia, 1989), Monia Ben Hamouda (Milan, 1991), Sergio Breviario (Bergamo, 1974), Corydon Cowansage (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 1985), Giulia Dall Olio (Bologna, 1983), Leonardo Devito (Florence, 1997), Tom Friedman (Louis Park, Minnesota, United States, 1953), Alex Katz (Brooklyn, New York, United States, 1927), Marco Paleari (Desio, 1998), Nathlie Provosty (Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 1981) in dialogue with those of great masters of the last century such as: Enrico Baj (Milan, 1924 - Vergiate, 2003), Irma Blank (Celle, Germany, 1934 - Milan, 2023), Alberto Burri (Città di Castello, 1915 - Nice, France, 1995), Domenico Gnoli (Rome, 1933 - New York, New York, United States, 1970), Piero Manzoni (Soncino, 1933 - Milan, 1963), Fausto Melotti (Rovereto, 1901 - Milan, 1986), Mario Merz (Milan, 1925 - Turin, 2003), Michelangelo Pistoletto (Biella, 1933), Carol Rama (Turin, 1918 - Turin, 2015), and Emilio Scanavino (Genoa, 1922 - Milan, 1986), in an exhibition oriented to bring new light to the expressive medium of drawing.

The project, entirely conceived and organized by Collezione Ramo, then includes the major Brazilian exhibition from Paulo Bruscky 's archive, which for the first time involves an international curator, Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, in Milano Drawing Week ; the solo show of Manuel Scano Larrazàbal, the first one produced by Collezione Ramo for the occasion ; and, as part of the exhibition Alberto Martini e la danza macabra, curated and produced by the Gabinetto dei Disegni in the Salette della Grafica of Castello Sforzesco, there will be a focus dedicated to the dialogue between the macabre ink strokes of Alberto Martini (Oderzo, 1876 - Milan, 1954) and Vincenzo Agnetti (Milan, 1926 - 1980).

A schedule of collateral events, spread throughout the duration of the event, from Saturday, Nov. 23 to Sunday, Dec. 1, enriches the program by including meetings open to the public with internationally prominent curators and workshops with artists and teachers exploring the infinite potential of the work on paper. 

Also returning for the second year is the Milan Drawing Week Prize, among the very few awards dedicated to drawing in Italy, awarded to one of the participating contemporary artists. The Prize, supported entirely by Gruppo Censeo, consists of a cash award of €3,000 as an incentive for continuity in production on paper. The winner of the previous edition is the artist Umberto Chiodi, with the work Bestiary (2023).The jury of architects and designers is composed as follows: Diego Marelli, Chiara Marinoni (Asti Architetti), Alvin Grassi (Alvin Grassi Design Studio Milano), Sonja Vizzini (Vizzini), Michele Vitaloni and Cecilia Candiloro (Charmitaliastudio), Luca Bombassei (Luca Bombassei Studio).

WHAT'S NEW IN THIS EDITION

Institutional collaborations While the prestigious collaboration with the Castello Sforzesco's Drawings Cabinet is renewed, which presents the exhibition Alberto Martini: the Macabre Dance, in the form of a silent dialogue between the work of Alberto Martini and that of Vincenzo Agnetti, the Cittadella degli Archivi of the City of Milan and Casa degli Artisti are participating for the first time in Milano Drawing Week. 

The Cittadella degli Archivi will host the group exhibition Political Attitude. Artists of Latin America from the Paulo Bruscky Archive dedicated toPaulo Bruscky, exhibited in Italy for the first time since its presentation at the Instituto de Arte contemporanea IAC in São Paulo curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti in 2023. The exhibition features works that escaped the censorship of Latin America's dictatorships and were collected in the Brazilian artist's postal art archive, never before exhibited outside Brazil's borders-a European premiere exclusively for Milan Design Week.

The Artists' House hosts the exhibition Rampant Paper and Drawing Tool by Manuel Scano Larrazàbal: a large installation that includes a giant rotating drawing and a machine that draws in real time with suspended markers, produced and curated by Collezione Ramo and made entirely from Canson and Lyra products.

The exhibition curated by Irina Zucca Alessandrelli, curator of the Collezione Ramo.Another new feature of this edition is the exhibition curated by Irina Zucca Alessandrelli at the Settantaventidue space, the new hub on the Navigli that combines sound art, books and architecture to promote new talents who are dedicated to creation on paper. The exhibition presents the work of young emerging artist, not yet represented by a gallery, Marco Paleari, in dialogue with the work of nuclear art master Enrico Baj.

The new calendar of workshops

Finally, debuting in this edition is a program of workshops on drawing practice designed to be accessible and engaging to all audiences. The calendar includes workshops with structured activities for adults and children, aimed at the creation of an elaborate work that is different each time and that allows them to experiment with the many techniques that characterize work on paper.The workshops will be held at Casa degli Artisti with artist Manuel Scano Larrazàbal, Casa Platform with Martina Zena and at the Ceramica Sant'Agostino showroom with Monika Dattner.

Renzo Chiesa, Photographer of Music

One of the most iconic images in Italian music history: Lucio Dalla on the cover of his 1980 album Dalla, photographed by Renzo Chiesa. A wool hat, round glasses, and an upward gaze—this unforgettable shot became the center of a lengthy legal battle and is now the focus of Renzo Chiesa / Chiesa Renzo, a documentary by Paolo Boriani. Premiering on November 16, 2024, at 4:00 PM at Nuovo Cinema Aquila in Rome, as part of the Rome Independent Film Festival (RIFF), the film takes viewers on a journey through music history, as seen through the lens of a photography master.

Renzo Chiesa’s iconic eye returns to the spotlight with Shot of Love, an unmissable exhibition opening on November 21 at 3:00 PM at Photosquare, Milan Malpensa Airport. As part of Milano Music Week, the exhibition celebrates the energy and intensity of music through Chiesa’s lens, capturing timeless moments of legendary artists. A visual journey that transforms photography into rock poetry.

Last March, Chiesa was also featured in an exhibition at Ian Art Gallery - Milan, an innovative phyrtual | phygital | clHub dedicated to art, culture, and spirituality.

For a Future Without Type 1 Diabetes: Italian Diabetes Foundation Takes to the Streets

On World Diabetes Day, November 14th, more than 400 volunteers will gather across 50 Italian cities to raise awareness and funds for Type 1 diabetes research in collaboration with federated associations under Diabete Italia.

Key Highlights:

• 400+ Volunteers Across Italy: FID volunteers, along with those from Diabete Italia’s federated associations, will be present in major Italian squares on November 16-17 to inform citizens about Type 1 diabetes and collect donations for research.

• 50 Cities Nationwide: Full list available on the FID website here.

• A Commitment to Research and Awareness: FID supports groundbreaking research and strives to educate the public about this lesser-known autoimmune disease.

  
  

Support Research and Spread Knowledge: Make a Donation Donating to FID is an investment in a future free from Type 1 diabetes. Even small contributions are vital for advancing scientific research and improving the lives of those affected by this autoimmune disease. Visit our stands to purchase high-quality, solidarity products such as artisanal “PanettUNO” and delectable “TartufUNO” truffles—ideal for holiday gifting with a purpose.

About the Italian Diabetes Foundation (FID) Founded in 2009, FID is the only organization in Italy entirely devoted to raising funds for Type 1 diabetes research. Run by individuals affected by the disease, FID independently allocates resources to leading research institutes and universities. In addition to funding research, FID actively engages in raising awareness and providing support to individuals and families dealing with Type 1 diabetes.

For more information, visit our website: www.fondazionediabete.org.

What is Type 1 Diabetes? Often mistaken for the more prevalent Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by the immune system attacking insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Unlike Type 2, its origins remain unclear, and it is neither preventable nor curable. Current treatment involves lifelong insulin injections, which require careful self-management due to the complex factors influencing insulin needs.

Despite advances in treatment technologies, Type 1 diabetes remains a challenging, incurable condition that often develops in children, with around 200,000 to 300,000 cases in Italy. Research continues to improve lives, but only a definitive cure can bring true relief.