An unusual triangle of finance, art works and art criticism.

Milan, the  financial capital of Italy, has its own “City” in a maze of narrow, old streets that are not usually included in the tourist tours but are home to some of the most important business institutions. Palazzo Mezzanotte, located in Piazza degli Affari, represents the heart of financial powerhouse. In fact, it is the headquarters of the Milan Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana). It is one of the purest examples of Fascist architecture in Milan, and it is situated in an area that has always hosted exclusively financial activities, apparently  impervious to the world outside.

For some weeks, this tiny square has been hosting L.O.V.E., a sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan, the most famous, influential and successful Italian artist worldwide. Since L.O.V.E. was installed, locals and tourists have been swarming to the square, snapping pictures of a work of art that has aroused heated debate.

For centuries, the prestige of art and the power of finance have been linked by patronage and sponsorship, and Piazza Affari today is no exception, Swiss bank Vontobel inaugurated its new Italian offices just a few days ago, and its status is evidently not only that of an important financial company, but also a dynamic force operating in the contemporary art sphere with a new project, “Vontobel per l’arte” (“Vontobel for the Arts”). The Vontobel Group has already supported this kind of activity in Switzerland, but Italy represents something special, as the Vontobel Group has chosen Milan to launch an innovative project aimed at supporting young artists not only financially but also by developing ideas and projects together.

Francesco Tarabini Castellani, president of the “Vontobel per l’arte” project, told us: “I think that the worldwide financial crisis has left a definite mark in the consciences of businessmen, often a real hole. For this reason, business began to look for values, and art, in particular contemporary art, can provide them immediately. The presence of Cattelan’s L.O.V.E. in Piazza degli Affari and the launch of our project, 'Vontobel per l’arte,' represent two consequences of this trend. While, in the first case, Cattelan’s sculpture, the aim is to achieve deliberate provocation by means of a paradoxical and ambiguous message, our project aims to recover the values and principles that guide artistic creativity in order to transfer them into the business sector. I think that art can open up a great opportunity to reflect on things, and the financial sector can certainly benefit from it. Art can help us to restore a truer and more sincere outlook on life.”

Even though Milan, one of the most important art markets worldwide, has no official approach on this specific issue, art lovers are beginning to see positive signals. Forward-looking collectors are setting up interesting projects and, during the last few years, interesting activities have also emerged from private institutions such as Fondazione Mazzotta, Fondazione Prada and, more recently, Fondazione Trussardi.

The Vontobel bank has assembled a group of experts and Italian art critics in order to assess international artists who could benefit from its sponsorship project. 

Dim Sampaio is the first artist to have been chosen. Born in Brazil, he completed his art training in Bologna. For four years, his work has been shown by a historic Milanese gallery, Grossetti Arte Contemporanea.

His large format canvases are painted in bright colours, typical of Brazilian culture, with subjects and characters demonstrating all the exuberance and vitality of his homeland.

In Dim Sampaio’s opinion, the art world in Milan should learn something from design and fashion, involving all the respective stakeholders: artists, collectors, critics, private and public institutions, galleries, and the general public. After many years spent in Italy, Sampaio considers Milan the only context that has seriously assessed and appreciated his painting and, for this reason, he says: “Milan has hosted a lot of interesting projects, and the Vontobel bank’s project is…a real surprise”.

Claudia Mandelli