Comunicato stampa | Press release

Testo di Giuliana Benassi | Text by Giuliana Benassi
Testo di Enrico Camprini | Text by Enrico Camprini
Testo di Vasco Forconi | Text by Vasco Forconi

Matèria is proud to present 10 on Paper, the first in a series of initiatives celebrating the gallery’s tenth anniversary. This milestone exhibition pays homage to Matèria’s foundational focus on photography while marking its evolution into a platform for diverse forms of contemporary artistic research and production.

 Paper serves as the exhibition’s unifying thread, bringing together the gallery’s artists through a curated selection of unseen and key works, aimed at depicting a multifaceted portrait of the gallery’s identity and establishing a foundation for its future direction.

 For the first time, all of Matèria’s represented artists will be exhibited together in the gallery’s current location on Via dei Latini 27, in San Lorenzo. Situated just a short distance from its founding space on Via Tiburtina 149, the group show is a rare event in a program historically characterised by solo presentations. 10 on Paper showcases the variety and coherence of the gallery’s roster, with works by Fabio Barile, Stefano Canto, Chen Xiaoyi, Mario Cresci, Giuseppe De Mattia, Bekhbaatar Enkhtur, Eduardo Fonseca e Silva, Maïmouna Guerresi, Sunil Gupta, Karen Knorr, Joachim Lenz, Marta Mancini, and Francisca Valador.

 “With this special exhibition,” say Niccolò Fano and Rossana Esposito, Founder and Director of Matèria, “we take a tangible step towards extending our profound gratitude to the artists whose work has shaped the gallery’s vision and whose continued collaboration inspires us for the present and future.”

 Over the past decade, Matèria has built its identity around a model centred around  prioritising long-term artistic collaboration and steadfast independence. This approach places at the forefront the sustained support for its represented artists, fostering their growth both creatively and professionally. Matèria positions itself as a home for artists; a juncture for curators, collectors, and the public to dialogue. In its model, decisions are guided by clear foundational first-principles, within a context that values curiosity, exchange and innovation.

 The gallery’s primary goal is to foster a pluralistic and cohesive community, rooted in a shared vision of gradual yet tangible development. This is achieved through a collaborative approach that emphasizes reinvestment and collective projects. In resisting market trends, Matèria aims to carve out its own path in the contemporary art landscape, highlighting the specificities of its context and, above all, championing the role of the artist.

 Concrete examples of this vision include the opening of its street-facing Vitrine and Luci di Via, a series of light installations commissioned for the gallery’s façade. These initiatives expand the traditional boundaries of the exhibition space, engaging in a direct relationship with the surrounding urban fabric and local community. Matèria’s approach unites artistic and entrepreneurial vision, demonstrating that it is possible to combine independence, sustainability, and cultural commitment in the complex landscape of contemporary art.

 As part of its special programming to mark this anniversary, Matèria is excited to announce two upcoming exhibitions: a solo show by Francisca Valador, underscoring the gallery’s dedication to discovering and promoting emerging artistic voices, and a group show that pays tribute to the gallery’s historical and personal ties to the photographic medium—particularly British photography—featuring prominent figures such as Karen Knorr and Sunil Gupta. The exhibition is curated in collaboration with Christiane Monarchi, co-director of Hapax Magazine and founder of Photomonitor.

 10 on Paper is accompanied by three short texts by selected curators who have worked with the gallery in shaping its program and identity: Giuliana Benassi, Enrico Camprini and Vasco Forconi.

* The event will take place concurrently with Monitor presenting Laurent Montaron’s solo show To Tell a Story and with Gilda Lavia opening the group exhibition AAM! Voracità della parola by Giulio Alvigini, Matteo Attruia and Lucia Marcucci, curated by Elena Forin.