Quand fondra la neige ou ira le blanc?

Each exhibition at Palazzo Fortuny is inspired by a desire to trace the multidisciplinary route that epitomised Mariano Fortuny’s life in art.

The theme of collecting is therefore a perfect topic to explore in relation to the versatile and mysterious identity of the great Spaniard. The exhibition title, “Quand fondra la neige ou ira le blanc? [When the snow melts, where does the white go?]” is taken from a work by Rémy Zaugg and examines the question: how has the role of the art collector evolved from the time of the great Renaissance collections to the present day? This theme of great contemporary interest is the source of the many-faceted exhibition project, which intends to provide now and in future years a portrait of important collectors of contemporary art by presenting their valuable art collections. Eric Mezil, curator of the exhibition, has selected a nucleus of works, starting from the rooms and the history of Palazzo Fortuny. Each floor is conceived as a cross section of our times, where works of artists from the 1960s (Alighiero Boetti, Daniel Buren, Lawrence Weiner, Enzo Mari, Rémy Zaugg and many others) are juxtaposed with those of some of the most rigorous interpreters of the current international scene (Douglas Gordon, Roni Horn, Philippe Parreno etc.) in a dialogue on various themes, such as architecture, performance, the body and the void. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue/objet d’art.