La misura di un orizzonte possibile | Ritratto di Paolo Brodbeck 2024
curated by Gianluca Collica

Federico Baronello, Luciano Bartolini, Daniel Buren, Barbara Cammarata, Alberto Garutti, Luigi Ghirri, Renato Guttuso, Piero Guccione, Mimmo Iodice, Tamás Kaszás, Esther Kläs, Jannis Kounellis, Kate Levant, Urs Lüthi, Carmelo Nicosia, Paolo Parisi, Fausto Pirandello, Alfredo Pirri, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Jan Vercruysse, Viola Yesiltaç, Lawrence Weiner, Erwin Wurm, Marco Maria Zanin

This exhibition traces the story of Paolo Brodbeck, a collector of a bygone era for whom the artwork has always been the authentic reason for his passion for art. Originally from Coira, Switzerland, but Sicilian by adoption, Brodbeck transformed an early passion for collecting into a lifelong practice grounded in intuition, emotion, and a commitment to sharing his experience with artists, gallerists, and friends.
The exhibition takes its point of departure from his most recent acquisition, Orizzonte (1992) by Alberto Garutti, and presents the collection as a journey shaped by encounters and passions—an ever-expanding horizon.
His first experiences date back to the 1990s, through his friendship with gallerist Franco Collica and his journeys to Rome, where he encountered artists such as **Fausto Pirandello, Renato Guttuso, Giulio Turcato, Renzo Vespignani, and Piero Guccione, acquiring significant works of twentieth-century Italian art. In 1997, his outlook became decisively international: visits to Art Basel, Documenta X, and Skulptur Projekte Münster consolidated his interest in an art capable of combining research, mystery, and lyricism. This period also marked the beginning of his particular engagement with Arte Povera and international sculpture, further developed through his relationship with gallerist Tucci Russo.
Between 1997 and 2007, together with Giovanni Iovane and Gianluca Collica, Brodbeck pursued an intense programme of exhibitions and acquisitions, encompassing artists such as Jan Vercruysse, Tony Cragg, Richard Long, Daniel Buren, Urs Lüthi, Carl Andre, and Lawrence Weiner, alongside emerging practices by Mario Airò, Luca Vitone, Erwin Wurm, Heimo Zobernig, and Thomas Struth. The experience of the Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Palazzo Fichera anticipated the establishment of the Fondazione Brodbeck in 2010.
The Foundation subsequently evolved primarily into a centre for artistic production, through residency programmes and acquisitions that directly supported artists and their practices. Brodbeck’s perspective expanded towards European and international art, with particular attention to emerging and mid-career artists, while maintaining a strong commitment to the Sicilian scene through works by Federico Baronello, Filippo Leonardi, Piero Zuccaro, Paolo Parisi, and Carmelo Nicosia.
In recent years, Brodbeck has increasingly focused on supporting and enhancing the Sicilian contemporary art system, fostering artists, galleries, and new cultural initiatives. Recent acquisitions by Maria Domenica Rapicavoli, Francesco Balsamo, and Barbara Cammarata testify to this ongoing evolution.
More than a collection, Brodbeck’s trajectory represents a form of active engagement with art: knowing artists, following their research, and supporting their projects beyond the parameters of fame and the market. This approach has contributed to strengthening Sicily’s contemporary art ecosystem and creating new opportunities for international exchange, in dialogue with institutions such as the Fondazione Oelle di Catania, promoter of the present exhibition.At the age of 75, Brodbeck continues to cultivate relationships and develop new projects, keeping his horizon open and unfinished: an evolving collective journey towards a deeper awareness of Sicily and its place within contemporary culture.