When and how did you open your gallery?

The three of us are childhood friends. We opened the gallery on October 13, 1990, with 500 euros each, in a garage measuring 6.08 x 3.98 x 3.33 meters in San Gimignano – a small medieval village in Tuscany, which lives on its past by exploiting our ancestral heritage. We shared the desire to create something new, something that bore witness to our journey through art. Which explains the name GALLERIA CONTINUA: creating from the past, in the present, for the future.

Are there any social, environmental or educational initiatives related to art that you’ve started working on recently or that you’d like to work on in the future?

Our commitment has always been a double one, private and public. We opened Galleria Continua and the Arte Continua association at the same time. The “Arte all’Arte” project left permanent works to several municipalities, by artists like Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley and “Arte x Vino = acqua” donated 2 million euros to those who have no access to water. We love educating: in France we welcome schools, in Cuba we get young people involved, and in Rome we are about to launch a residency for artists from emerging countries.

Something important you’ve learned from an artist? And from a collector?

Lorenzo:
The important thing I’ve learned from artists and collectors is that passion never dies: every day, even if it were to be your last, has to be lived with passion.

Mario:
From an artist, believing that something which seems impossible can happen. From a collector, that works need to be saved from oblivion to give future generations signs of vitality.

Maurizio
We’ve been lucky to have lived, shared and learned from many people!

The first exhibition at your gallery? Would you do it the same way again? What would you change?

Lorenzo: Our first exhibition was the most important one. It’s the seed that the twig sprouted from, which then grew into a tree full of colorful blossoms. With no money or contacts, the three of us mounted an exhibition by the artist Myl Sey. It was the sum of our energies, an unforgettable memory!

Maurizio: Yes, really beautiful! It couldn’t have been better.

Mario: The first one, perfect.

How do you imagine your gallery in ten years?

Lorenzo: With all the energy, passion and desire of the first day, and the three of us still together!

Mario: Even better at maintaining the balance between staying grounded in reality and creating a better future.

Maurizio: Youthful!