Opus Novum #7: Maurizio Nannucci

Every year since 2019, Arte Fiera has commissioned an Italian established artist to create a work to be presented at the fair. The series, named Opus Novum, was inaugurated by Flavio Favelli, followed by Eva Marisaldi (2020), Stefano Arienti (2021), Liliana Moro (2022), Alberto Garutti (2023), and Luisa Lambri (2024).

Opus Novum 2025 is dedicated to Maurizio Nannucci (b. 1939), who has been an internationally renowned Italian artist since the 1960s. The author of sound and photographic works as well as artist books, Nannucci is known above all for his use of the word as artistic material, specifically in the form of neon writing for site-specific installations. From “ALL ART HAS BEEN CONTEMPORARY” to “WHAT TO SEE / WHAT NOT TO SEE”, Nannucci’s works have become immediately recognizable in both large museums and in international exhibitions (to which he is regularly invited) as well as in urban spaces, in which they are often permanently installed. By means of a unique combination of light, color, and text, his neons stimulate a critical approach to art, to the exhibition space, and to perception in general.

In addition to language, one of Nannucci’s constant interests is multiples. Author, exhibition curator, collector, and even publisher of multiples (with Exempla, Zona Archives, and Recorthings, which he founded), Nannucci views serial production as a way to affirm the preeminence of the idea of the individual action and as an opportunity for the democratic propagation of art. Arte Fiera shares this approach, as demonstrated by the creation of Multiples, a specific section for works in edition. Based on this affinity, Nannucci’s contribution to the Opus Novum series will be a new multiple created for the fair.

Thanks to Pasin Bags for the technical partnership.