What is the value for contemporary society of art on display in galleries? What is the role of the gallerist in Italy today?

As a gallerist, I have always felt an obligation to support Italian artists, although the way things are in the world today, the meaning of the work of art and its value are often lost. The gallerist needs to support the market, improve it, believe in the artists he or she works with, support them, help them grow and accompany them through their career. As a gallerist, I feel the need to protect the artists and also the collectors.

How did your path in art begin?

I’ve liked to draw and paint since I was twelve years old. In 1968, I became acquainted with the Arte Povera artists, and they introduced me to a new kind of experience and vision. Coming back from a trip to New York, I opened a small American Pop Art gallery specialised in graphic works, and then went on to produce multiples with the Turin artists I’d started to associate with.

When and how did you first set up your gallery?

The idea for the gallery sprouted in 1970 out of a desire to share: the artists I had met and their work had made such an impression on me that I passionately wanted to work with them and show others the intensity of what they were doing.

Why did you choose this city?

When I started my activity in the 1970s, Turin was a hotspot: the Arte Povera artists were gravitating around my city, which I had always found to have a strong capacity for getting projects off the ground and teeming with energy and culture. Today, with all of the communication means at our disposal, Turin is a base, a laboratory for artists, even at the international level.

Are you a collector?

I started collecting at a very young age, buying a large piece by Merz and one by Zorio. I think that part of my gallerist self also wants to be a collector. The beauty of putting together an exhibition with the artist, thinking about it, is an extremely special experience that makes it increasingly difficult to separate from the works of art.