SERGIO POGGIANELLA

Collector and curator, anthropologist, member of ISARS (International Society for Academic Research on Shamanism).
Born in Rovereto, Trento.
Graduate in Foreign Languages ​​and Literature at the University of Padua (1973), but believing in the “need for continuing education”, also took a degree in Anthropology and Ethnology Sciences at the University of Milan Bicocca (2008), furthering his interests with the Postgraduate Course in Cultural and Anthropological Heritage at the Bicocca University of Milan (courses in 2011 and 2013).
For nearly forty years he has owned and managed art galleries, with a significant curatorial activity involving production of 132 exhibitions and publishing 83 exhibition catalogues.

Gallery Loreto (1976-1978) in Rovereto. Even then he suggested confrontation between contemporary art and old masters, showing Flemish and art of the Venetian school from the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries next to Depero, Miro and Picasso.

Art Gallery Fonte d'Abisso (1978-1993) in Modena. These were the years when the solidarity path opens with the artists Franco Vaccari and Emilio Isgrò, and the adventure into Futurism began. Sergio Poggianella coordinated and published at his own expense the "Catalogue of the works of Giacomo Balla", entrusting the text of the presentation to Giovannni Lista and the repertories to Danna Battaglia and Annamaria Gambuzzi; published in 1982, with 1,059 works in its repertoire, this is still the reference catalogue of Giacomo Balla’s production.

Fonte d'Abisso Arte (1989-2001) in Milano. The Gallery consolidates their lead role in the promotion of the Futurist movement in Italy, as well as its market. This thanks to their care in selecting quality work, checking history and origins, continually engaging with the artists themselves and/or with their heirs and to collaboration with authoritative critics and art historians.

Contemporanea Arti e Culture (2000-2003) in Milano. The path is indicated by the Venice Biennale in 1999 and in 2001, curator Harald Szeemann, with recognition of the artistic events in Russia and China, and the opening of new markets. Hence the proposal of exhibitions that represent the production in those countries. Fundamental was the contact whit International Society for Shamanistic Research (ISSR), the meeting with the critic and traveller Enrico Mascelloni and numerous trips to Central Asia. His interest grows in finding and collecting rare examples of work from non-European regions and in the study of non-Western culture and art.

Gallery Transarte (2004-2010) in Rovereto. The intent is to promote art related events beside his gallery activity, with exhibitions of contemporary art (avant-garde with particular attention to Futurism as well as anthologies), with confrontation between artistic production and artefacts from “other” cultures, with an ethno-anthropological keynote.The capabilities of Transarte allowed cooperation with local authorities and public institution.

When Transarte closed and he retired as a gallery owner, Sergio Poggianella has dedicated his attention to an inventory of the work and artefacts which will be transferred to the Foundation. This was created in March 2013 and has the status of a non-profit legal entity, as recognised by the Government Commissioner in Trento, in August this year.

Biography (pdf 63 kB)
The theory of the object-specific (pdf 81 kB)
Bibliography of scientific contributions and contributions to international congresses (pdf 66 kB)
Bibliography of critical contributions to catalogues edited during gallery activity (pdf 80 kB)
Browse the catalogue list