Critical Made in Italy Part 4: Art, Industry and Public Spaces (April 15, 2019)

Why and how do artists develop their vision in contact with for-profit companies and public institutions? This fourth part of the Critical Made in Italy Series titled “Art, Industry and Public Spaces” (Mon April 15 SBUS Lecture Hall 101 6:30-8:30PM) explores the aesthetic and political implications of turning a work of art into a fine design product like wallpaper or into the architectural element of a public space, whether a subway station or a city theater lobby.

The creative production of Francesco Simeti, active both in Italy and the U.S., which weaves together the legacy of nature-inspired ornamental motifs and the subtle denunciation of environmental, technological, and visual pollution is at the center of a conversation with the artist himself, Lester Burg (MTA Arts & Design) and Nicholas Savage (Maharam Textiles), on creativity, manufacturing, distribution and exhibiting across the ocean. The conversation will be moderated by Livia Alexander (Art and Design) and Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair), with remarks by Sharon Waters (Feliciano Center).

Join us for a free event open to the public, which will be of interest to students and faculty in Art, Design, Italian, Business, Fashion, and Environmental Studies, among others, as well as to the broader community. For more info, see webpage. Please RSVP by Thur April 11.

Sponsored and organized by the Inserra Endowed Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, in collaboration with the Italian Program (Department of Modern Languages and Literatures) and co-presented with the Department of Art and Design and the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at Montclair State University.