Credito Valtellinese Gallery is pleased to inaugurate in the Stelline refectory an exhibition dedicated to the Calderara Collection.

The painter Antonio Calderara (Abbiategrasso 1903-Vacciago di Ameno 1978) originally mounted this collection in his XVII century house in Vacciago. It includes 327 contemporary paintings and sculptures, 56 of which were realised by Calderara himself and 271 by more than one hundred European and non-European artists.

Our Gallery offers a wide range of documents regarding the international avant-garde currents of the '50s and the '60s, focusing on the geometric abstractionism, the kinetic art, the optical art and the visual poetry.

This collection is a very interesting example, especially as far as the homogeneity of the works is concerned. Numerous paintings and sculptures, in fact, show an obvious "affinity" with works by Calderara. The collector's choice is a result of his constant and affectionate relationship with the numerous artists who came to Vacciago to visit their friend and colleague. They often exchanged their works with his.

This important collection main characteristic is perhaps its tendency towards the abstractionism. A geometric abstraction, often concrete, but, in any case, more lyrical than constructive.

After abandoning the figurative phase (of which there are a few significant examples in his collection: portraits, landscapes on the lake, still natures), Calderara enthusiastically and confidently turned to a rigorous geometrical style. It is consequently easy to understand why a lot of works by Leinardi, Graevenitz, Gappmayr, Girke, Reimer, Jochims, Albers, Oehm, Jan Schoonhoven etc., all very close to a geometrical abstractionism, even if very different from one another, joined the paintings by Calderara.

In addition to this essential tradition, there are a lot of more geometrical examples belonging to the Swiss-Dutch Konkrete Kunst (works by Max Bill, Lohse Camille Graeser, Vordemberge-Gildewart, Vantongerlo) and works belonging to the post-geometrical period (Uecker, Otto Piene, Tornquist).

Certainly, it is not possible to mention all artists who are represented (approximately one hundred). Anyway, Calderara's particular "artistic taste" made numerous artists, who had not been adequately appreciated or were known for works belonging to other periods of their career, conspicuous. Let us mention a few artistic groups

Forma I, including Piero Dorazio and Carla Accardi. Gruppo T, belonging to the optical-kinetic trend and including Gianni Colombo, Grazia Varisco etc. Abstractionists from the numerous countries influenced by the post-constructive period (e.g. Soto, De Camargo, Dekkers, Leppien) Some Italian artists - Maria Luisa de Romans, Turi Simeti, Arlandi, Cesi Amoretti, Carrino, Olivieri, Griffa, Aricò, Alviani, Dadamaino, The Movement for the Concrete Art (i.e. M.A.C.) represented by Galliano Mazzon, Mario Nigro, Radice, etc.

The collection, however, includes not only geometrical works but also some independent artists, among the most representative of the first half of the century art: Licini, Tilson, Sonia Delaunay, Larionov, Hans Richter, Vasarely etc., Lucio Fontana, Manzoni, Aricò, Castellani.

In addition to painting, we surely have to remember sculpture with exponents such as Cassani, Balderi, Distel, Dekkers, Spagnulo, Cascella, Azuma, De Camargo, Remotti, Frascà, Pranti, Uncini, and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Definitely, the Calderara collection is an example of a style its owner and founder individuated in a relatively late phase of his career. Nevertheless, he adopted this style without any hesitation, as well as numerous contemporary artists.

Information at:
Credito Valtellinese Group Gallery
Phone: 02.48.00.80.15

Public means of transport to the Gallery:
Underground MM Cadorna, Tram 24 and 19, Bus 94

Press Office
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