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Fiat sells Palazzo Grassi

Art in America, Dec, 2004

The Palazzo Grassi, the 18th-century palace on Venice's Grand Canal that has been a prime exhibition venue for 17 years, was sold in mid-October by the financially troubled Fiat corporation to the Venice city council for $31 million. Fiat will retain a 10 percent share of the enterprise, though the company announced fast year that it would end its sponsorship of exhibitions. Programming will be assumed by a nonprofit company comprising the Casino di Venezia, which is owned by the city council, and possibly the Fondazione di Venezia, a bank foundation, if the foundation is granted power of approval of the administrative and intellectual leadership.

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Fiat acquired the palazzo in 1984 and the following year commissioned architect Gae Aulenti to renovate and restore the historic structure. Its well-regarded presentations have included a major Duchamp retrospective (1993); "Identity and Alterity," a figurative painting survey curated by Jean Clair as part of the 1995 Venice Biennale; "Triumph of the Baroque--Architecture in Europe 1600-1750" (1994); "Cosmos: From Goya to De Chirico" (2000); "Picasso 1917-1924" (1998); and exhibitions on Maya, Egyptian, Etruscan and Celtic art. The final show, a Salvador Dali exhibition, closes Jan. 16. Whether the new administration can maintain a high quality of exhibitions in one of Venice's most vibrant cultural venues remains to be seen.

Fiat sells Palazzo Grassi

Art in America, Dec, 2004

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