Among the great peculiarities that have always characterized the Bel Paese is art. In fact, Italy is considered a true cultural reservoir, and for this reason every year it is visited by tourists from all over the world.
However, it is not just the ancient historical finds that make Italy a favorite destination for art lovers. Indeed, our country continues to be distinguished over time by the presence of many of the most famous and internationally renowned Italian contemporary artists.
Contemporary art, though not always easily understood, has occupied a large share of the world market, in which there are numerous Italian excellences.
Among the most influential artists of our century, we can notice:
- Enrico Castellani
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Valerio Adami
- Mimmo Paladino.
These are just some of the leading contemporary artists and painters that influence the arts and the auction market significantly.
Let’s get to know them in detail …
Enrico Castellani
Recently Castellani has been making headlines, following Sotheby’s auction of modern and contemporary art held in Milan. With the work White Surface, starting from an estimate of 290-390 thousand euros, the artist’s diptych was finally purchased for the record figure of 901,500 euros!
It is not a coincidence that Castellani, the father of minimalism, is part of Artet, the world’s ranking of one hundred living artists at the top of the market … And he is considered one of the major exponents of European art in the twentieth century.
Maurizio Cattelan
Another renowned artist for his controversial works is Maurizio Cattelan, known as “one of the greatest post-duchampian artists and also crafty” by Jonathan P. Binstock, a famous art critic.
Like Castellani, Cattelan also belongs to Artnet’s ranking, and among other awards he has recently received the Laurea Honoris Causa in Sociology from the University of Trento.
The most famous work? Is the one depicting Pope John Paul II fallen to the ground, struck by a meteorite. Impossible not to have seen it!
Michelangelo Pistoletto
Pistoletto is the greatest exponent of the Italian artistic trend called Arte Povera. This is a particular art form born in Turin and in contrast with traditional artistic languages in favor of simple instruments.
An example is, the Venus of the Rags one of his most famous works, in which the statue of the goddess is placed in front of a pile of rags.
At the moment this work is located at the MADRE Museum in Naples, one of the most influential contemporary art galleries in Southern Italy.
Valerio Adami
With Adami, we move to another artistic trend that has greatly influenced international art. In fact, the artist is prompted by Pop Art and is particularly influenced by Roy Lichtenstein’s work.
He has great fame abroad, where his canvases have reached significant quotations. The peculiarity of the contemporary painter is to include elements of historical, political and literary nature, cleverly mixed with the right amount of irony in everyday objects.
Mimmo Paladino
Last but not least, we conclude this brief excursion on the most important contemporary Italian artists with Mimmo Paladino.
He is an extremely eclectic figure that boasts a remarkable collection in the field of photography, in Pop Art, in Conceptual Art and finally in painting, becoming one of the major exponents of the Italian transavanguardia.