ITALOMODERN 1 +2: Postwar Architecture in the Region of Upper Italy

A Stocktaking of the Postwar Architecture in the Region of Upper Italy. An exhibition by Martin and Werner Feiersinger as well as aut. architektur und tirol - Innsbruck.

In 2011, Martin and Werner Feiersinger offered the first comprehensive stocktaking of the postwar architecture in the region of Upper Italy by means of the exhibition and book entitled "ITALOMODERN", thus introducing the wide range of different trends and their representatives - some of which were unknown - , from Neo-Realists and Rationalists, Brutalists and Organic Architects down to architectural "freaks".

The success and the great attention that "ITALOMODERN 1" received encouraged Martin and Werner Feiersinger to continue their research and traveling activities and present the results in "ITALOMODERN 2". 

For the first time, "ITALOMODERN 1" and "ITALOMODERN 2" will be shown together, from April to June 2016 at #meranoarte. 

For 20 years, #meranoarte has been presenting architecture exhibitions with the aim of creating awareness for modern and contemporary architecture in the Alpine region and is proud to show the stimulating and high-standard exhibition "ITALOMODERN 1+2" in 2016. 

This comprehensive presentation of the Italian postwar era is a great synopsis of familiar and unfamiliar architecture. Beyond ideological or formal censorship, the exhibition offers insight into thirty years of architectural development in northern Italy, including South Tyrol. In addition to the buildings of Edoardo Gellner in Corte di Cadore or those of Armando Ronca in Bolzano, the constructions of Ettore Sottsass, Vico Magistretti, or Carlo Scarpa are also icons of regional architecture during that period. Together with the examples from the other regions, all these buildings - some of which look quite exotic in the context of the local architecture - take part in a huge orchestra with many variations.

Focusing on unique and experimental, but not necessarily spectacular buildings, the exhibition and the two books comprise roughly 220 buildings that are a clear expression of the economic and cultural boom of that phase during which people believed in the architectural malleability of the future. Geographically, the exhibition ranges from Bolzano to Colle di Val‘Elsa, from Trieste to San Remo, and from the Adriatic Sea to roughly 2,000 m above sea level.

The first project concentrated mainly on buildings in the urban territories between Turin and Trieste, while the second one expands its radius to include South Tyrol and the Alpine regions. The highly diverse topographical and climatic conditions as well the different contexts with regard to the history and "schools" of architecture, and the heterogeneous typological approaches of the presented architects create an arc of suspense that is underlined through the photographs which communicate the respective surrounding, light situation and mood perfectly.

ITALOMODERN  – an exhibition with projects by:

Franco Albini • Asnago & Vender • Giovanni Astengo • Carlo Aymonino • Mario Bacciocchi • Luciano Baldessari • Bartoli & Baldassini • BBPR • Gino Becker • Giandomenico Belotti • Aldo Bernardis • Dante Bini • Pietro Bottoni • Bucci & Trinci • Luigi Caccia Dominioni • Guido Canella • Mario Cavallé • Cappai & Mainardis • Enrico Castiglioni • Celli & Tognon • Mario Cereghini • Luigi Carlo Daneri • Carlo De Carli • Giancarlo De Carlo • Edoardo Detti • Marco Dezzi Bardeschi • Marcello d’Oliva • Angelo Di Castro • Annibale Fiocchi • Figini & Pollini • Gabetti & Isola • Mario Galvagni • Gambirasio & Zenoni • Ignazio Gardella • Edoardo Gellner • Vittorio Giorgini • Vittorio Gregotti • Gresleri & Varnier • Antonio Guacci • Sergio Jontof Hutter • Jaretti & Luzi • Adalberto Libera • Antonio Macconi • Vico Magistretti • Angelo Mangiarotti • Giovanni Michelucci • Giulio Minoletti • Carlo Mollino • Filippo Monti • Riccardo Morandi • Bruno Morassutti • Carlo Moretti • Luigi Moretti • Robaldo Morozzo della Rocca • Nicola Mosso • Saverio Muratori • Sergio Musmeci • Giovanni Muzio • Pier Luigi Nervi • Ico Parisi • Gabriella Padovano, Cesare Blasi, Ugo La Pietra, Albero Seassaro • Luigi Pellegrin • Giuseppe Pizzigoni • Gio Ponti • Paolo Portoghesi • Giorgio Raineri • Leonardo Ricci • Ridolfi & Frankl • Armando Ronca • Aldo Rossi • Giuseppe Samoná • Maurizio Sacripanti • Leonardo Savioli • Carlo Scarpa • Ettore Sottsass sen. • Ettore Sottsass jun. • Pierluigi Spadolini • Dino Tamburini •  Giuseppe Vaccaro • Gino Valle • Enzo Venturelli • Virgilio Vercelloni • Vittorio Viganò • Nanda Vigo • Villa & Zibetti Ribaldone • Enrico Villani • Marco Zanuso • Bruno Zevi

Publications:

On occasion of the exhibitions "ITALOMODERN 1" at vai and "ITALOMODERN 2" at aut, each on display from October 2015 to February 2016, an updated version of the publication "ITALOMODERN 1" that had won several awards and has long been out of print, appeared in June 2015 with Park Books. Since October, the follow-up edition "ITALOMODERN 2" – also jointly edited by by aut and vai – has been available. In this second book, Martin and Werner Feiersinger introduce a further selection of projects from the postwar era in the region of Upper Italy. Geographically, the selected projects range from Bolzano to Colle di Val‘Elsa, from Trieste to San Remo, and from the Adriatic Sea to 2,177 m above sea level.

Like the exhibition, the books are strictly based on the chronological order of the 132 selected buildings. Each project is documented by means of a brief text, new drawings, and numerous photographs that show the present condition of the buildings from a subjective point of view. The publication is supplemented by biographies of all architects represented, by means of which Martin Feiersinger traces the network of personal ties, partnerships, and project-specific cooperations.

Editor: aut. architektur and tirol in cooperation with vai Vorarlberger Architektur Institut 

Idea: Martin Feiersinger, Werner Feiersinger, Arno Ritter

Photographs: Werner Feiersinger, Martin Feiersinger 

Graphic #design: Willi Schmid, Vienna 

Editorial assistance: Michaela Zöschg, Christian Nikolaus Opitz

Park Books 

Volume 1: 352 pages, 227 color images, 112 drawings, 16.5 x 22 cm

ISBN 978-3-906027-98-2, price EUR 45.00

Volume 2: Paperback, 552 pages, 360 color images, 165 drawings, 16.5 x 22 cm

ISBN 978-3-906027-99-9, price EUR 48.00

Kindly supported by the Federal Chancellery, art department; the Provincial Government of South Tyrol, department for culture, and the Federal State of Vorarlberg

For review copies, please contact the publishing house Park Books

Martin Feiersinger

born 1961 in Brixlegg; lives and works in Vienna; 1975 – 80 HTL für Hochbau, Innsbruck; 1981 – 86 degree course at the University of Applied Arts Vienna; 1987 – 89 degree course at Rice University, Houston; since 1989 independent office in Vienna

Numerous buildings, including 1991 – 98 Europan 2, municipal residential building in Colerusgasse, Vienna; 1991 – 93 pavilion, Wiener Neustadt (together with Werner Feiersinger); 1993 – 98 daycare center and parent advice center Grosserweg, Vienna; 2000 – 03 House Bogner, Brixlegg; 2002 – 05 apartments and farm "Brizerhaus", Ramsau; 2005 – 12 block house Monika Scheitnagl, Fügen; since 2006 residential building Kudlichstraße, St. Pölten (3rd phase presently under construction); 2010 – 14 house Walter Bliem, Ramsau; 2013 – 14 Wagrambühne, Königsbrunn am Wagram (together with Werner Feiersinger)

Werner Feiersinger

born 1966 in Brixlegg; lives in Vienna 1984 – 89; degree course at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and 1991 – 93 at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht 1999; visiting lecturer at the École nationale supérieure des beaux­arts de Lyon; 2002 – 06 University Lector at the Vienna University of Technology; 2006 – 08 visiting professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna

Numerous solo exhibitions and exhibition participations worldwide, most recently, for instance, 2015 "AAA. Ein Kunstprojekt im öffentlichen Raum", Zürich; "Schlaflos", 21er Haus, Vienna; "SECTOR 17", Galerie 

Martin Janda, Vienna; 2014 "Vorzeichen", RLB Kunstbrücke, Innsbruck; "Die Gegenwart der Moderne", mumok, Vienna; "Artists Engaged? Maybe", Fundacao Gulbenkian, Lisbon; 2013 "Passage", O&O Depot, Berlin; "Rain, Steam and Speed", Sommer & Kohl, Berlin; "Unter 10 – Wertvolles en miniature", Wien Museum, Vienna; 2012 "Expanded Field", Galerie Bob van Orsouw, Zürich; "Die Sammlung 2", 21er Haus, Vienna; 2011 "In the first circle", Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona; "Er­ schaute Bauten. Architektur im Spiegel zeitgenössischer Kunstfotografie", MAK, Vienna

Fringe events:

Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m., lecture by Martin Feiersinger "Andere Häuser"

Friday, May 6, BOLZANO; lecture by Christoph Mayr Fingerle and Jörg Stabenow: "Die Stadt des Armando Ronca. Ein Architekt für das moderne Bozen 1935-1970"

Friday, May 20, lecture by Antonio Macconi – #architettura come espressione plastica

ITALOMODERN 1 +2

Martin and Werner Feiersinger in cooperation with aut, Insbruck

Press conference: Friday, April 22, at 11 a.m.

Opening reception: Friday, April 22, at 7 p.m.

Exhibition period: April 23 – June 26, 2016

Venue:Merano #arte – In the Sparkasse building