September 23, 2022

The Ability To Dream, the story of Galleria Continua in San Gimignano arrives on Sky Arte

The documentary airs on 25 September at 21.15. At the same time, a major exhibition celebrates 30 years of the gallery and its many artists

Sky Arte has decided to tell the story of Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo, founding partners of Galleria Continua, through the documentary "Galleria Continua. The Ability to Dream" which retraces over thirty years of activity through the images, memories and voices of some of the protagonists of this incredible adventure.

"Telling the story of Galleria Continua, one of the most influential international contemporary art galleries, founded thirty years ago in San Gimignano, was in many ways like telling the story of a rock band or the epic of a great sports team: the risk-taking attitude, courage, strokes of genius and friendliness of the founders Lorenzo, Mario and Maurizio, have made Continua unique, an example of vision, hard work and absolute passion, which over the years has enabled it to become a promoter and reference point for many of the world's most important artists. For this, but also for her being the demonstration that nothing is impossible for those who pursue a dream with commitment, it is easy to understand why Sky Arte has decided to dedicate a documentary to her adventure. Just a part... because it's not over yet!' says Dino Vannini, Sky's Head of Documentary and Factual Channels.

To accompany the viewing of the film - an international premiere in its historical venue, the San Gimignano cinema theatre, on Saturday 24 September - , Galleria Continua is also inaugurating a group exhibition, The Ability to Dream, which is intended as a tribute to all the gallery's artists, because it is thanks to each individual artist, to the mark they have left, the contribution they have made, the paths they have opened up that this story has taken shape and been able to develop and unfold over the years like a fresh and colourful plot.

Galleria Continua opened in San Gimignano in 1990, on the initiative of three young friends who began their adventure with a space in Via della Rocca in San Gimignano, in the middle of Tuscany, seeking to spread contemporary art in a rural setting, far from busy metropolises and cultural centres.

The name of the gallery stems from the desire of the three founders to sublimate the link between past, present and future: San Gimignano today is known as a city of art thanks to the historical-artistic heritage that the city has guarded for centuries and that includes masterpieces of Italian art including works by Benozzo Gozzoli, Ghirlandaio and Pollaiolo. However, this heritage, which today we would call 'ancient', was contemporary in its time and for this reason it is essential to 'continue' to support, promote and enhance today's artistic experiments in order to generate new stories and memories.

The gallery's project has developed over 32 years and now has 8 locations on 5 continents. Galleria Continua was the first foreign gallery with an international outlook and programme to open in China in 2004, and then, after three years, opened a new space in Les Moulins, in the Parisian countryside, for major interventions and exhibitions. In 2015, the gallery embarked on a further journey in Havana, Cuba, with the aim of crossing all kinds of borders. In 2020 it then launched a new exhibition venue in Rome, inside The St. Regis Rome Hotel and one in Brazil, Galleria Continua São Paulo, located inside the Pacaembu sports complex with an inclusive space, far from the typical white cube canon. In 2021, it landed in the heart of Paris, in the Marais district. Also in 2021, the gallery opened a new location in Dubai at the Burj al-Arab, the iconic sail-shaped building located off Jumeirah Beach.

This immersive journey, which includes the documentary "Galleria Continua. The Ability to Dream', promises to be an explosion of stories and tales from around the world, a concrete representation of a goal shared by Continua: to be a meeting point for everyone through art.