Present Future, young people at Artissima 2018. Curator Cloé Perrone speaks

Artissima’s “Present Future” section is the space at the fair that, for the past eighteen years, has been presenting emerging young talent to the public. This year, the works of 18 artists, presented by 19 galleries (14 foreign and 5 Italian), will be on display, and these will be either new projects created specifically for the fair or exhibited for the first time in a European and Italian context. The section this year will be curated by Cloé Perrone, an independent curator based in Rome and New York. The editors of Finestre Sull’Arte asked her a few questions to get some more insights into the 2018 edition of “Present Future.”

Red. This year the “Present Future” section of Artissima comes of age: it is in fact turning eighteen, and having come of age, it is time to look back. If we were to look back at past editions of “Present Future,” who might be the main young artists highlighted at the fair who went on to pursue the brightest careers?
CP. There are many, and not only the winners of the illy Prize. For example, today Thomas Saraceno has a major exhibition “Carte Blanche” at the Palais de Tokyo,Paris, Rachel Rose at the Fondazione Re Rebaudengo, Turin, and Cécile B. Evans will open a solo show at Madre, Naples in January 2019. Cally Spooner, winner of last year’s illy prize, will open at Castello di Rivoli,Turin on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018.

For a young artist, finding the keys to emerge is increasingly complicated. What are the main difficulties that emerging talents find when interfacing with the market, with critics, with collectors...? ?
When you are young, you don’t always know the institutional and art market logics. As in all professions, you have to learn how the system works and then be able to move within it. It takes perseverance and sacrifice to emerge.

And if you wanted to give advice to an artist who intends to emerge, what would you suggest?
To study and work hard. Talent is always recognized and hard work rewarded. If you can then travel and not be self-referential better.

You have had several experiences abroad, working, for example, in France and the United States. What are the main differences between the environment in which a young artist finds himself working in Italy, and those that welcome his French or American colleagues?
I think the environments are quite similar, the markets on the other hand are different.

Let’s talk specifically about edition number 18 of Present Future. 18 is also the number of artists who will be presented by the 19 galleries (14 foreign and 5 Italian) at the fair: what should we expect?
“Present / Future” remains a place to discover young talent and see cutting-edge projects.

This year’s curatorial committee, with the exception of Your presence, is totally different from last year’s. Will there also be differences in the approach to the work?
Every curator has a different approach to the work, but every time we have discussed it, we have almost always agreed.

Pictured is the 2017 edition of Present Future. Ph. Credit © Perottino-Alfero-Bottalla

Present Future, young people at Artissima 2018. Curator Cloé Perrone speaks

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