Materials, videos, and publications on twenty years of activity

“Has a new Utopia perhaps been born? No! A place of indeterminacy has been born, whose boundaries remain fluid and in motion: extending over what does not belong to it, concentrating on what it has managed to make its own.” With this spirit, on October 18, 1987, Careof began its activity. Founded by a group of artists—Mario Gorni, Dino Ferruzzi, Meri Gorni, Zefferina Castoldi, Diego Bianchi, Tommaso Bressan, Orazio Esposto, Franco Adami, and Massimo Sola—Careof was born with the intent to promote emerging research in contemporary art, offering an exhibition space, a specialized library, expert staff consultancy, and a workshop that over time was also equipped for video editing.

On that occasion, in the spaces of Cusano Milanino, C/O careof also inaugurated its exhibition activity with AREA, an exhibition curated by Luciano Inga Pin.

As stated in the event’s press release, AREA intends to “present eleven young artists who for about two years have focused on the changing mechanisms of production in post-industrial society and its territory, on phenomena connected with the transformation of the tertiary sector, the lettering of new technologies, with the rigor of an abstraction suited to the urban model of our metropolises. This line of research—called in different circumstances and other contexts ‘Neo-geometry,’ ‘Neo-minimalism,’ or ‘Cold Painting’...—could not but develop also in the Milanese context....”

Twenty years later, Careof, recognized as a Historical Archive by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities in 2006 and now nearing its move to its permanent location (2008) at the Fabbrica del Vapore, re-proposes a historical reading of that same exhibition: re-presenting the original works and documentation of AREA opens a reflection on the Milanese artistic scene of the late ‘80s and at the same time on the path taken by Careof.

From October 18 to 27, 2007, it will also be possible to consult part of the archive materials: publications and documentation of the 200 exhibitions presented at Careof; a selection of over 4000 videos including artist works, documentation of exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale, Documenta, Sculpture Project Münster, interviews with curators, critics, and artists including Vito Acconci, Marina Abramovich, Shirin Neshat, Pipilotti Rist.

• Works and documentation of “AREA,” the first exhibition of Careof (October 18 – November 20, 1987)
  curated by Luciano Inga Pin
  with Libero Acerbi, Stefano Arienti, Gianni Asdrubali, Fausto Bertasa, Luigi Carboni, Marco Cingolani, Massimo Kaufmann, Tito Maffei, Antonella Mazzoni, Marco Mazzucconi, Alfredo Pirri

• a reflection by Massimo Bartolini

• an intervention by Vedovamazzei based on chocolate, sponge cake, and chantilly cream