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Art

Art at the center of our inspiration

The 'originality of Seterie Argenti is reflected in each of its walls. The list of artists who have frequented and still frequent the company is very long: it is the case of Bruno Munari from Milan, Mario Radice from Como, Carla Badiali from Novedrate, Max Huber from Switzerland, author of the Argenti and Esselunga logos, Marco Perego from Lombardy, Giuseppe Veneziano from Sicily, Maria Lai, the Sardinian textile artist, Nicola Salvatore, the Brera professor from Naples, Cristian Leperino from Naples, or the photographer Davide Bramante. “Even the canvases of the paintings are actually woven”. There is a strong kinship between art and textiles, jacquards, prints or knits created by Seterie Argenti.

Art PassionPassion, Art, Art events in Como and province 1982 - 2005 through the Photo Diary of Carlo Viganò
Art PassionPassion, Art, Art events in Como and province 1982 - 2005 through the Photo Diary of Carlo Viganò

Viganò's passion for art was born, almost by accident, not many years ago. Having attended accounting school and never having studied art history, he had never been interested in it. He came to art by sheer coincidence around the 1980s when Mario Radice phoned his wife Rosanna and asked her if he could see again a painting he had painted in the 1940s: a portrait of Dr. Spagnoli, Rosanna's father. This gave the Viganòs a chance to meet Radice: it was love at first sight! They began to frequent his house assiduously, almost every evening: Radice was a most interesting man who talked about everything and everyone, who loved to tell his story and other topics. They thus formed a deep friendship. They hung out often, he accompanied him to exhibitions, openings, museums..., It was a beautiful moment, as Viganò narrates, a moment that lasted about fifteen years. Thanks to Radice Viganò got to know many artists and established friendships that marked his life in later years, such as the one with Angelo Tenchio and with Paolo Minoli. Thus was born a passion for contemporary art, which Viganò calls "lived art," because it reflects what can be observed by attending artists' studios. For him, ancient and modern art is that which is studied in books or seen in museums, while contemporary art is that which is experienced by frequenting the artists, their studios, going there for dinner, attending openings, etc...

taken from the Graduation Thesis of Francesca Testoni "Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera Milano", decoration course, academic year 2004/2005

StreetScapeStreetscape
StreetScapeStreetscape

StreetScape is a public exhibition of Urban Art spread in the squares and courtyards of the city of Como, curated by Chiara Canali and Ivan Quaroni and with the direction of the Artistic Committee by Michele Dino Viganò, organized by the Cultural Association Art Company, with the collaboration of the Municipality of Como - Department of Culture and with the partnership of some private sponsors. (Reale Mutua ag. Alighieri of Como, Cantaluppi Tavernerio, etc..)

StreetScape is an itinerant project that aims to make people reflect on the new possibilities of interaction between contemporary art and the urban ground of the city, which for the occasion hosts the installation of works, installations and sculptures in relation to the aesthetics of places.

In the curators' intentions, "StreetScape" is to be understood as a real reconfiguration of the urban landscape to revitalize the city's historical-artistic, architectural and museal heritage with site-specific installations of works that arise in dialogue with the most symbolic places of the city of Como and are specifically designed to be installed outdoors, outside the normal circuits of enjoyment of works of art.

As reflected in the title, consisting of the union of the English words "Street" and "Scape," the project proposes at the same time unprecedented "views" of the streets and views of the city of Como through the intervention of contemporary artworks.

Every year, established and emerging contemporary artists from the Italian and international scene are invited to create art projects expressly created to interact with the squares and courtyards of historic buildings, museums, academies and cultural spaces in the historic center of Como.

An exhibition route, conceived as a diffuse, polycentric exhibition, with Urban-art works, installations and sculptures, but also workshops and meetings on the themes of creativity and evolution.

SOLIDARITY PROJECTSCollateral initiatives in collaboration with Friends of Simpatia – Art Auctions with Sim-patia
SOLIDARITY PROJECTSCollateral initiatives in collaboration with Friends of Simpatia – Art Auctions with Sim-patia

SIM-PATIA is a Social Cooperative for the Disabled based in Valmorea in the province of Como that develops multi-pronged activities aimed at the severely disabled including: a Disabled Health Residence (RSD), a Disabled Day Center (CDD), a technology center for the development of technologies for the disabled, co-housing projects aimed at the frail and/or disabled. www.sim-patia.it

70 vassoi d’artista all’asta (70 Artist’s trays on Auction)

Vasi comunicanti (Communicating vases)

50 Sedie d’Artista (50 Artist’s chairs)