English
Rolando Pieraccini is an Italian publisher who emigrated to Finland more than 30 years ago. Since then he has worked as a publisher but also as gallery owner. He has always made efforts to encourage the cultural exchange between Finland and Italy and some call him an “Art Ambassador” because he uses art as an extraordinary diplomatic medium. He organized several exhibitions of Italian artists in Finland and vice versa. In addition, he contributed to the formation of some of the modern Finish art collections in Europe such as those in the Albertina in Vienna and the Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.
He began to collect art in the 60s when he had the chance to meet some famous members of the “Scuola di Urbino”: Leonardo Castellani, Walter Piacesi, Renato Bruscaglia and Arnaldo Battistoni.
Since then he accumulated a “life collection” and in 2008 he donated 550 pieces of his private collection to the Atenum Museum in Helsinki, the biggest museum in Finland. This collection is one of the greatest and most complete collections in the world of 20th century Italian art. It includes works by 40 artists by everyone from Giorgio de Chirico to Carlo Carrà, Gino Severini, Alberto Burri, Felice Casorati, Afro Basaldella and Giorgio Morandi. Heikki Malme, the curator of paintings and designs in the Ateneum calls this collection “The most important collection of Italian twentieth century works outside of Italy” Among Pieraccini’s favourite Italian artists are Campigli, Marini, Carrà and Castellani.
From October 1, 2010 until January 16, 2011 the Rolando and Siv Pieraccini Collection will be shown in an extensive exhibit on the 2nd floor of the Ateneum. Pieraccini would love to donate works to an Italian museum as well but due to Machiavellian laws and absurd bureaucracy it is almost impossible for him to do so. So if you want to see this important Italian collection, be sure to rent Apartments in Helsinki and visit this grand exhibition of Italian art.
For more info on the Ateneum:
http://www.ateneum.fi/acms/core/default.asp?docId=12532
Opening hours: Tue, Fri 10–18 | Wed, Thu 10–20 | Sat, Sun 11–17
Address: Kaivokatu 2, FI-00100 HELSINKI
