Marco Anelli: Building Magazzino 2014–2024

July 29, 2024

Archivio Mario Schifano.

Magazzino Italian Art Presents Marco Anelli: Building Magazzino 2014–2024, an exhibition celebrating the institution’s history and the people who made it possible

On view August 23–October 28, 2024, the show presents photographs of the Museum in construction to highlight the workers and craftspeople who built it from the ground up

Cold Spring, New York (July 29)—Magazzino Italian Art is pleased to announce Marco Anelli: Building Magazzino 2014–2024, an exhibition showcasing photographs taken over the course of the past decade by Italian-born, New York-based photographer Marco Anelli.

Commissioned by Magazzino, Anelli’s photographs chronicle the transformation of the museum from a conceptual vision for a center for Italian Post-war art into its current form—a campus with two buildings, a renowned permanent collection, eagerly anticipated temporary exhibitions, and the first and only research center of its kind in the US.

Curated by Paola Mura in close coordination with Anelli, the exhibition will be on view in Magazzino’s new Robert Olnick Pavilion and present around 50 exceptional, large-scale images capturing the conception and construction of the Museum, including images of its buildings in progress and portraits of the dozens of construction workers and craftspeople who together built the institution.

Marco Anelli says, “These photographs documenting the history of Magazzino capture the sense of pride that the men and women who literally made this Museum carried with them to their work site each and every day. It was an honor to chronicle their work and to see them raise Magazzino from an idea into a reality.”

Anelli’s portfolio, which he completed with the benefit of unrestricted access to Magazzino, documents the Museum’s construction process in its entirety, from its early conceptual stages in 2014 to its present-day existence across five acres of land in Cold Spring, New York.

The photographs trace the history of Magazzino’s main building (previously used as a milk pasteurization facility before being retrofitted in 2017 by Spanish architect Miguel Quismondo to house the Museum’s permanent collection of Arte Povera works) and continue up until today with the recent construction of the freestanding Robert Olnick Pavilion, designed by Alberto Campo Baeza with Quismondo and dedicated to temporary exhibitions and providing programming space. The exhibition will feature large-format photographs, including portraits of local construction workers and images of the Magazzino campus at various stages of construction, from the initial demolition in 2014 to the 2015 groundbreaking, and into the museum’s current existence.

The show’s curator, Paola Mura, said, “Unlike a standard documentation, Anelli’s work provides an unparalleled perspective that only his artistic vision could capture. His images are not mere records but a distinctive view that reflects his unique approach to the subject. The images reveal the museum’s journey and emphasize the power of art to inspire and create. Anelli’s photography reflects his ongoing exploration of architecture, environment, and humanity. He presents thoughtful images that reflect the rhythm of work and highlight the often-overlooked contributions of construction workers, recognizing the essential role of these individuals and the community.”

Founded as an institution dedicated to Arte Povera, Magazzino has since grown into a center for Italian Post-war and contemporary art of all kinds. Opening its galleries to living artists signals the Museum’s mission to advance public appreciation of the art of our time.

Magazzino co-founders Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu said, “We are honored to have commissioned this project by Marco Anelli, whose work is as much a part of the institution as are the buildings and our exhibitions program. It was essential for us that Magazzino be built for and by our neighbors in Putnam County and beyond, and we are truly proud to honor their amazing contributions through this exhibition showcasing what is truly their work.”

Anelli’s project on the development of the Main building was published as Marco Anelli: Building Magazzino by Skira Rizzoli in 2017, presenting 129 color photographs and a preface by Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu, along with essays by Manuel Blanco, Alberto Campo Baeza, Marvin Heiferman, Miguel Quismondo and Vittorio Calabrese. The book design is by Beatriz Cifuentes, Waterhouse Cifuentes Design. The book is available in bookstores.

About Marco Anelli
Marco Anelli is a Roman-born, New York-based photographer. After specializing in black-and-white photography and learning advanced printing techniques in Paris, he started working on projects that evolve over long periods of time. His publications include works on sculpture, architecture, sports, and classical music. In 2010, Anelli took portraits of 1,545 participants in Marina Abramović’s performance at the MoMA in New York City (Portraits in the Presence of Marina Abramović, Damiani Publisher 2010). In 2015, he completed A Simple Story, his project on the construction of the new Whitney Museum of American Art; and in 2017 he released Building Magazzino, which documents the construction of Magazzino Italian Art. Since 2018, “First American Portrait” has portrayed immigrants at their Oath Ceremony in major US cities.

Anelli’s recent work, Artist Studios New York (Damiani, 2020), explores the artist’s character and work within their studios, featuring major New York-based artists like Alex Katz, Cecily Brown, and Julian Schnabel, Kiki Smith.

TINO, Nivola in America, published in 2021 by Silvana Editoriale and Magazzino, focuses on Costantino Nivola’s sculptures in the US, providing deeper insights into his work.