B&A Events Introduces: Case Chiuse By Paola Clerico
On February 3rd, the B&A members got a chance to a chat with Paola Clerico – founder of the gallery and creative agency Case Chiuse – to learn more about her idea of a flexible platform of production and consultancy in the field of contemporary arts.
Case Chiuse started in February 2014 as a wandering platform of production and consultancy in the field of contemporary arts, with the purpose of supporting artists and facilitating the diffusion of their work.
For five years now they have devised and staged exhibitions, occupying private and inaccessible places, opening them up to the public for the duration of the exhibition, always in close collaboration with artists, galleries and curators that shared their passion for these wandering spaces.
Case Chiuse by Paola Clerico, via Rosolino Pilo 14
Paola Clerico has a degree in History of Art and Literature from the University of Milan, and has worked in London for 2 years after graduation, before deciding that a one year course from Sotheby’s was the next step in her career. She realized after many years of a historic-based education, she wanted more of a hands-on approach to work directly with collections.
Her early career experience included working for art magazines and small galleries, and she highlights her experience in the Gio Marconi Gallery, where she stayed for two years.
In 2004-2005 after her extensive participation in the work of art fairs, Paola decided to start her own company with some friends, among which Illaria Bonacossa, current director of the Artissima Fair, and Francesco Stocchi, curator of the Boijmans Museum and Fondazione Carriero in Milan. They were finding a new way to produce shows without a physical space and in different situations. She was also the founder and partner at Studio Massimo De Carlo, and later on became partner at Galleria Massimo De Carlo as well.
After a long series of projects everyone went their separate ways but Paola continued with her work in production, and eventually founded Case Chiuse, a provocation where she tried to find more spaces to experience art and artists; a different way to work. The spaces and venues were varied, but always starting with the artist and working with them directly– from private living rooms to places in the nature and in the city of Milan.
Case Chiuse #8 by Paola Clerico
For Paola, the work of production has to be a work of love. You have to have passion and understand what is the best way to help artists develop projects. Ideas might change related to the situation, the budget, and the location, but the most important to work closely with the artist, having a good relationship with them. Here are a couple of the questions that Paola answered during the event:
How do you usually work, how does the production process start?
I usually choose the artist, I choose the work and study the work, with some artists there is a long friendship, with younger artists I follow them and challenge them.
Do you think that the production work is a kind of way to produce art?
Obviously it is related to the process of creativity, but you have to be a kind of ‘bridge’. You need to be good at finding people and working with budgets, and I think that is beautiful, but I don’t think that what I do is art, I think that I work for art.
You first worked with antiques and then with contemporary art, and then you opened up spaces for people to experience art. Why did you choose your varied fields of work?
Now you have so many chances in University, you can study different types of art. Before, your path was harder to find. A very important thing for me was producing art, and it was the path I chose to follow, so I could work with everything. I suggest that you work; you are not wasting time if you experience many different things, I was very late to get my degree but I was so happy with what I was doing.
As students you are always under pressure, but it is important to travel and see everything.
In this moment it is so important to something you are passionate about, and to understand how these things work. Don’t stick to a schedule, you have to study hard but you also have to do things.
Case Chiuse #4 by Paola Clerico
