The partnership with Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico in line with the goals of Fondazione CDP for the Education Sector in the “Culture” area, aims to support Italian cultural and artistic excellence and to promote artistic work through competitions and awards.
Context and partnership
The decision to partner with Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico came from the desire to rediscover and improve the historical bond between Giorgio de Chirico and Italian industry, specifically the Master's artistic journey that spans art, enterprise and patronage.
Giorgio de Chirico is internationally recognised as one of the most important artists in the cultural history of the 20th century, famous for his metaphysical work that reconstructs the universe of myth and the unfathomable mystery of being in an extraordinarily modern style.
In 1961, the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI), recognising the iconic and evocative power of the Master's works, commissioned him to produce 10 watercolours to illustrate the historic institution’s industrial sectors. Each of the works symbolically links companies such as Finmeccanica, Finelettrica, Fincantieri, Autostrade company and RAI to the myths of Ancient Greece, following the canons of classical tradition, but reinterpreted by the Volos-born Master in his characteristic figurative style.
These works are now part of the CDP Group's collection and are on permanent display in an exhibition dedicated to the relationship between Art and Industry at the company's museum in its headquarters.
Through this new collaboration with Fondazione de Chirico, Fondazione CDP seeks to improve and strengthen its ties with the Master and his extraordinary cultural legacy by launching two projects designed in line with its statutory mission.
The Project
The partnership project with Fondazione de Chirico has a dual purpose: • The organization of a “National Contemporary Art Award – Teogonia, Tracce di futuro”, at the start of November 8th, launched in partnership with the two Foundations and CIVITA Mostre e Musei, for three new works inspired by the topicality of myth, aiming to support and encourage the work of young artists. The artists of the three most deserving works, selected by a jury of experts, will receive a cash prize donated by the two Foundations and their work will become part of Fondazione CDP’s collection, to be used in the future for communication initiatives and specific exhibition projects.
• Fondazione CDP provides financial support for the management and promotion of the Giorgio de Chirico House-Museum in Piazza di Spagna in Rome, which for the occasion, lent Fondazione CDP two of the Master's works, Poesia d'estate (1970) and Vita silente metafisica con busto di Minerva (1973), together with the famous bust of Minerva from de Chirico's studio, used by the artist as a source of inspiration for numerous works.
You will find more information about the National Contemporary Art Award – Teogonia, Tracce di futuro, click here.