When Antonio Giardinieri arrived in Rome with his father Giovanni – a member of the Accademia Tiberina – to attend an exhibition by Giovanni himself, he sensed that he would follow in his footsteps.
A long time later, Luis Lorefice was exploring Buenos Aires examining works of art to open a gallery in the city of Santa Fe. When he came across a work by Antonio, he did not doubt that it would be his first purchase…
It has been 50 and 15 years, respectively, since both events. From then on, they were all professional and human coincidences that became solid projects linked to art.
LL: Investigating, I found nothing less than a criticism by Rafael Squirru (1925-2016) of Antonio’s father: “Impossible to classify him comfortably within the artistic currents that make up the painting of our century, he belongs to all of them and belongs to none. . Surrealist, futuristic, and lyrical abstraction elements appear. It moves in different dimensions of reality and dreams. Art tasters participate in that subtle celebration of the spirit that his works offer.”
AG: When Luis contacted me and read this comment, I was amused and nostalgic at the same time. He told me –come on… that’s you.- I remembered my father’s works exhibited at the Eduardo Sívori or Quinquela Martín museum. We talked about the traits of the surrealist palette and in some cases metaphysics that he perceived in my work…I think we didn’t imagine that everything would end up in joint ventures.
They have just made a successful show at the Palacio Barolo in CABA. The new challenge is “Modo Arte,” a project that, in addition to generating spaces for emerging artists, is today responsible for calling and organizing the Night of the Museums in such an emblematic building.
LL: Actually, being an architect, I was always attracted to the history of art, added to the fact that in my home I grew up admiring works by artists from Santa Fe that my parents collected. Thus, after returning from an experience in Italy, I made the decision to set up a gallery in my city, Santa Fe. It’s incredible that 15 years have passed.
AG: I remember my father in long gatherings with artists from Santa Fe. After an exhibition at the Provincial Hotel in Mar del Plata, I was sitting among them. Raúl Schurgin comes to mind, but there were several… always like this, growing between the smell of oil and turpentine, between the canvases and brushes. I feel pride and responsibility to be occupying that place.
LL: Actually, Antonio was a great find for my gallery. There are important collectors of his work and his price is very significant for the Argentine market. We not only coincide in our activity – both from our different perspectives and approaches – but in what life itself is. We are united and emotional, he has a wonderful family, I have a son in Italy that I am dying to see again and another preparing his departure.
AG: Now we encourage artists to exhibit their works and find their audience as part of their professional growth. We live in a moment of quality artistic production. The pandemic and our eternal crisis have intensified feelings and emotions. Many have poured that energy into producing art and others into discovering it in order to feel alive.
Contact info expo Barolo 11 58881186 3425411578 www.estudiodeartesur
by CEDOC