The Ars Gratia Artis Association
The cultural association was founded in March 2008 with the goal of creating site specific contemporary art exhibitions in public and private spaces. The Association works with National and International artists , who are asked to reflect upon the particular locations selected for the exhibitions. Ars Gratia Artis includes professional figures who work in synergy in fields ranging from concept development to communications, to the creation of cultural events such as Genius Loci, Isola Palmaria (Palmaria Island – 2008), Destini Svelati 2010 ( Fates Revealed 2010 ) – an event parallel to the 14th Biennial Sculpture Exhibition of Carrara (2010) – and Destini Svelati/ Eventi 2011 (Fates Revealed 2011) – three days of lectures, meetings, performances and video screenings, an open call for young contributors, on the occasion of the donation of two videos by Mario Sasso to the Museum of Marble of Carrara.
Photo by Albrecht Tübke
Federica Forti
Born in Carrara in 1982, Federica Forti graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy in Florence in 2006 with a degree in Museology. She furthered her studies in Spanish and Latin-American art at the Universidad de Arte of Seville, and received a Master’s degree in Museology, with a thesis titled LVMH holding: between advertisement and art investments. After gaining work experience as a gallery assistant at the Margini Gallery in Massa and at the Vetrina Gallery, owned by Susanna Orlando in Pietrasanta, she currently works as a curator between Rome and Carrara.
Exhibitions she has curated include: February – October 2008 –Island of Palmaria, Porto Venere (SP), Umberto I Former military fort, currently Fortress of the Sea, Project: “Genius Loci”. Artists: Lisa Batacchi, Luca Bray, Grazia Cantoni, Stefano Cagol, Andrea Chiodo, Giovanni De Gara, Raffaello Gori, Sibylle Pasche, Niccolò Poggi, Francesco Ricci, Carmen Tornaboni.
April – May 2009 Margini Gallery, Massa. “Stick-Instead” exhibition. Artists: Sandro del Pistoia e Monica Szwed.
May – October 2010 Carrara Post Monument, XIV Biennale di Scultura di Carrara. Project: “Destini Svelati”. Artista: Mario Sasso.
April – September 2010 Rome. Pastificio Cerere Foundation, Accademia di Spagna a Roma, CO2 Gallery. Project: “Nidi”. Partner: The Road to Contemporary Art, Contemporary Art Fair in Rome. Artist: Santiago Morilla
Since April 2011 she has curated the “DATABASE” programme for the Marble Museum in Carrara. Partners: City of Carrara, Regione Toscana. Artists: Giacomo Verde, Massimo Cittadini, Aron Demetz, Avelino Sala, Yuri Ancarani, Graham Hudson, Andrew Rutt, Robert Pettena, Stefano Canto. Guest curators: José Luis Corazón Ardura, Mike Watson, Maria Rosa Sossai.
Her future commitments include curating the new edition of DATABASE 2013 for the Marble Museum in Carrara, and the exhibition “GRAN KAN” for GNAM, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. Partner: Accademia di Spagna a Roma. Artists: Avelino Sala, Emilio Chapela, Pelayo Varela.
She is a contributor for major publications in the field, such as Exibart (2009 to 2011) and Artribune (Since 2011).
In-print publications:
– F. Forti, Frank Horvat, in “Promenade a Carrara”, Galleria Susanna Orlando, 2012, pp. 3-9.
-F. Forti, Ipotesi su un artista, in “Desiderio”, Italian Factory, Milano, 2011, pp. 8- 14 e 33- 37.
-F. Forti, Destini Svelati, catalogo della XIV Biennale di Scultura di Carrara, Post Monument (Carrara, sedi varie, 26 giugno- 31 ottobre 2010) a cura di Fabio Cavallucci, Silvana editoriale, Milano, 2010, p. 185.
-F. Forti, Il cervo volante e altre storie, catalogo della mostra “Carta canta”, personale dell’artista Tommaso Cascella, (Pescara, Museo delle Genti d’Abruzzo, 11 giugno- 8 luglio 2010) a cura di Roberto Rodriguez, Sala editori, Pescara, 2010, pp. 7- 10.
-F. Forti, Perché Genius Loci?, catalogo della mostra “Genius Loci”, special guest Stefano Cagol, (Isola Palmaria, Fortezza Umberto I, 31 luglio- 13 settembre 2008) a cura di Federica Forti, Athena edizioni, Pietrasanta, 2008, pp. 6- 8.
-F. Forti, Ah, non poter essere tutte le persone e tutti i luoghi, catalogo della mostra “Carte”, personale dell’artista Maurizio Rivieri (Forte dei Marmi, galleria Susanna Orlando, 1-15 settembre 2007) a cura di Federica Forti, edizioni galleria Susanna Orlando, Forte dei Marmi , 2007, pp. 3-6 e 11-12.
-F. Forti, Intervista a Jef Van Tuerenhout, catalogo della mostra “Jef Van Tuerenhout” (Pietrasanta, Chiostro di Sant’Agostino, 07 maggio- 19 aprile 2005) a cura del Comune di Pietrasanta, dell’Assessorato alla cultura , edizioni ETS, Pisa, 2005, pp. 20-23.