Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino has been an avid art collector and appreciator for decades, even as he continues his duty as a diplomat to the Philippines since 2017. His love for art knows no bounds, already having written several books on contemporary art, two of which were published in English. In his latest book, dubbed as “The Originals: 30 artists that shaped contemporary art,” he explains art in the context of its modern iteration, and how it pushes the thought of originality.
For Giorgio, there is nothing more extraordinary than art. It is not always the traditional definition of art—the defined lines, the realism of everything—that moves him; rather, its ability to profoundly affect people. Art encapsulates beauty, though its method in doing so may differ from what society dictates—this is what Guglielmino explains in his new book.
The book, published under Anvil Publishing, reintroduces artists of different nationalities of various ages and generations who have paved the way towards new and modern art and have mostly given birth to what contemporary art is today.
In it, Giorgio gives a detailed look at the artworks of Richard Long, On Kawara, Jannis Kounellis, Aligheiro Boetti, Mimmo Paladino, Jenny Holzer, Cindy Sherman, Julian Schnabel, Joseph Beuys, Ilya Kabakov, Tony Cragg, Barbara Krueger, Rosemarie Trockel, Anish Kapoor, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Guillermo Kuitca, Gabriel Orozco, Gerhard Richter, Tracey Emin, Anselm Kiefer, Ernesto Neto, Christian Marclay, David Hockney, Tino Seghal, Anya Gallacio, Shahzia Sikander, Eisa Jocson, Cai Guo-Qiang, William Kentridge, and Maria Justu. The book will also include snippets of conversation with art collector Marcel Crespo.
The Originals: 30 artists that shaped contemporary art is available for PHP 650.00 at Art Bar branches, and online through www.anvilpublishing.com and www.national bookstore.com.
