Beth Brideau – Francesco De Molfetta – Grant Miller

The innovative gallery director Roberto Annicchiarico expands his activities and acts as an art patron. Nearly one year ago, he opened in the center of Milan the AR / Contemporary Gallery with an international program. Now he conducts a new experiment and offers his gallery space the first time for a month to young artists. This action goes besides of the regular contemporary art exhibitions. AR / Contemporary Gallery wants to support upcoming artists by providing them an open platform where they can perform their own shows. The artists are asked to occupy the empty gallery space and present their latest art works, if possible in form of installations.

As the guest curator of the first show, named Container_1, the art patron invited Oliver Tschirky, the former vice director of Art Basel and Art Basel Miami , which are recognized as the most important art fairs in the old and new worlds. “It’s a space in the space like the stage in a theater”, declares Oliver Tschirky, “the artists are overtaking the gallery and are transforming it to something else. This forum differs from a usual gallery exhibition; for a certain time, the whole space becomes a piece of art.” In the first edition of the platform, each artist has his particular area, but the concept of the platform is flexible and can be developed in the future. In general, it is a cooperation of the artists, coordinated by the curator.

From January 13 th to February 13 th, 2006, three artists, one Italian and two Americans, are occupying the gallery space for the first time. They are filling the free space with new installations, recent paintings and drawings. The Milan native Francesco De Molfetta presents a site specific installation on the floor, the wall and on canvas. In an ironical way he analyzes Italian myths of the everyday life and the visual arts. Beth Brideau, who lives in New York, shows with her monochrome watercolours interpretations of air views. The observer always perceives the existing room between the air plane and the earth. In her floating drawings in the same time non geometrical abstraction and the harmonic void of Eastern philosophy can be seen. Grant Miller from Kansas City constructs in his acrylic paintings spaces in spaces. His architectural scenarios are creating new unknown volumes and, because of tubes, are sometimes appearing like machines. Only additional organic brush strikes let us leave the imagination and bring us back to reality.

The inauguration of Container_1 will be on Thursday, January 12th, 2006 at 7 pm in AR / Contemporary Gallery, Via A. Vespucci 5, 20124 Milano, Tel. +39 02 454 989 02, Fax. +39 02 454 983 54.