Page 56 - Studio International - September 1971

Dan Flavin Multiples in Christen's PVC reliefs and Kiki Vices
Untitled to Barbara Nüsse 1971
6o x 6o cm Vinci's modifiable structures in anodized
Edition 5o Italy aluminium, screen-printed in white. At present
Heiner Friedrich they are producing objects by Karl Gerstner
2 Joseph Beuys and by Anthony Miralda. They market both
la la ja Nee Nee Nee
Colophon through art galleries and, for larger scale
distribution, through furniture shops. (They
were also the first to attempt exhibitions and
sales of multiples in department stores in
previous years, but with no great success.)
Marketing of multiples in Italy, as elsewhere, The new Plura editions, whose multiples are
reflects the ambiguities of the 'multiple' label. perhaps the cheapest on the market (as low as
On the one hand, galleries that already publish two pounds for objects in editions of 500), find
graphics start making limited editions of objects, it much more difficult to sell in Italy than
numbered and signed by their own artists, so abroad. Roberto Arioli of Plura believes that
that the multiple becomes a sort of three- there will be no multiples boom in Italy for at
dimensional lithograph. Most of these galleries least two years. His latest issues are : Concetto
reject the word 'multiple' for 'edizioni'. These Pozzati's La regardeuse, Ugo La Pietra's
multiples/edizioni are too expensive to be within Multiplo, Superstudio's Specchio misuratore,
the reach of everyone, but there is no marketing Lucio Del Pezzo's Arc-en-ciel.
problem—in most cases they are sold even before There are no marketing problems for the
they are made. All the talk about 'art for the first two to publish multiples in Milan. Sergio
masses' is nonsense. On the other hand, new Tosi began with Lucio Fontana and since then
publishers who started producing multiples on a has continued his policy of very limited
large scale either for ideological or economic hand-made copies of sculpture by top names
reasons are faced with a new problem of such as Pol Bury, Soto, Tilson, Baj, Man Ray
distribution. Being ignored by art galleries in with L' Indicateur. Danese, who publishes some
general, they are now trying to sell through
furniture showrooms. This is not easy—dealers
in this field know nothing of contemporary art,
nor do the shop assistants or the manufacturers.
Only one centre specializes in selling
multiples, of all editions and prices, and that is
Colophon in Milan. They have graphics as well
as three-dimensional objects from Italian and
foreign publishers of multiples. They are also
distributors for Mazzotte Editore, whose recent
multiples include : Del Pezzo's Omaggio a De
Chirico plus six three-dimensional graphics;
Arman's Senza Titolo silkscreen on Plexiglas;
Pistoletto's Autoritratto on nickeled copper and
golden silver; Joseph Beuys's ja ja ja Nee Nee
Nee long-playing magnetic tape; Dennis outstanding kinetic multiples, has recently
Oppenheim's A sound enclosed land area and published Maris's Sixteen variations and
Enrico Baj's volume. Munari's Flexy.
The Mana Art Market of Rome distributes GEM Montebello in Milan produce the
all over the world, and sells directly in the Mana unique jewellery multiples now in London, at
Gallery. Here are produced rather expensive River of Old Bond Street. At present they are
`unlimited' editions of objects for common use working on a Man Ray set containing golden
designed by artists and made with plastics : earrings Pendant Pendentifs, a golden necklace
doors (Castellani, Fontana, Marotta), chairs and Lajolie, a golden and platinum ring, plus two
tables (Franco Angeli, Gino Marotta, David small sculptures La main d' argent and
Morris), lamps (Gianni Colombo, J. C. Farhi, Ermafrodite.
Fabio Mauri), lighting fixtures (Marotta, This seems to be Man Ray's year; in homage
Scheggi), plus a few serial sculptures by to the man who wanted to kill the myth of
Marotta, Ceroli, Tano Festa. objet d'art we remake his objets a détruire as
From 15 September 1971, the activities of expensive limited editions, for the benefit of
the Edizioni del Deposito—born in 1963 with collectors and speculators.
the Gruppo Cooperativa di Boccadasse together In Rome, Il Nuovo Torcoliere, the print
with the Galleria del Deposito in Genoa—will factory, has recently published Ceroli's Dania, a
3 Sara Campesan
Semisphere Containing Mobile be continued in Milan by two of the remaining profile of a woman obtained through his typical
White and transparent Perspex 3o cm diameter members of the dispersed group : Eugenio superposition of pieces of wood.
Sincron Carmi and Carlo Fedeli. The new Edizioni del Also in Rome 2RC Edizioni, a new publisher,
4 Bruno Munari Deposito will be characterized by a larger scale has made a steel cube with engravings by Arena,
Macchina Aerea 193o Carrino, Corbellini, Leinardi, Maldonado,
Photograph of the original object, the whereabouts of of operation and by the use of new techniques
which is unknown and materials : see particularly Carmi's electrical Sirello. q
Edizioni Danese imaginary signals made with Plexiglas and neon; ANNA LANZUOLO
98