1992–2022: 30 years of Guggenheim Intrapresæ, in the name of art, creativity and business.
Venice, May 25, 2022 – The history of Guggenheim Intrapresæ spans 30 years. The project started in 1992 when, for the first time in Italy, a pioneering group of diverse companies came together to network and give light to a project for museum supporters that appreciate culture as a vehicle for corporate social responsibility. It was with this premise that Guggenheim Intrapresæ was born, the first corporate membership project to take place in an Italian museum. In its long history alongside the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the group has significantly contributed to the growth and development of the museum and its numerous activities, encouraging a continuous, stimulating, and creative dialogue between art and business. “Serving the future instead of recording the past” was one of objectives that Peggy Guggenheim set for her New York museum/gallery, Art of This Century. This is now the motto that marks this anniversary, and signals a look to the future, to the next 30 years of a forward-thinking collective that is ready to continue its journey alongside the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, ensuring a continual exchange of values, opportunities, visions for the future, and concrete actions aimed at supporting and enriching one another.
Over the course of the last 30 years, more than 80 renowned Italian and international companies have identified with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s mission, and shared a process of cultural and creative growth alongside the museum and other corporate members through a relationship based on the sharing of values. Today, 12 members make up Guggenheim Intrapresæ. Each of them, through their uniqueness and diversity, have contributed, over the years, to creating a lively, creative and united collective. These outstanding companies are known for their patronage and contribution to the cultural and social growth of the areas they operate in. Guggenheim Intrapresæ includes Allegrini, who practice their viticultural artistry in the area surrounding Verona and Tuscany; Apice, an established company specialized in shipping works of art all over the world; and Arper, a furniture design company located in the area of Treviso. Then there is Florim, a renowned Italian ceramics company that focuses its development and growth on sustainable practices; Eurofood, a food distribution company that imports foreign brands to Italy; Hangar Design Group, who for years now have curated the graphic image of the museum. Guggenheim Intrapresæ can also count on the creativity and values of the Istituto Europeo di Design; on Itago, an independent private equity firm that focuses on Italian SMEs, that joined in 2022; and on Mapei, a giant in the manufacture of products and the research of new materials for the building industry . Finally, it also includes René Caovilla’s precious footwear creations; Rubelli’s elegant and exquisite fabrics; and Swatch’s original watch designs, exploring art through time. Alongside Guggenheim Intrapresæ is also the recent Officinæ Guggenheim, a “junior” corporate membership program that allows companies to engage with the art world through affordable investments, which today includes Slalom Acoustic and Panzeri.
Depicting the story of these “first” 30 years was entrusted to Hangar Design Group, which devised a campaign inspired by the concept of evolution, constant growth and innovation, and a focus on the future. The anniversary logo reflects the concept of evolution through a continuous line that creates the number “30,” while, at the same time, recalling the symbol for infinity. The visuals for the campaign, on the other hand, reflect three main themes: context, faces, and movement. The context, which is art, represents the pay-off that has always been at the core of the collective, “Art inspires business, business brings art to life.” The second theme is related to the human element of Guggenheim Intrapresæ, expressed in the people who are part of it. The third theme is evolution, expressed by the movement of the people activating the campaign, the entrepreneurs and the companies’ representatives, surrounded by some of the masterpieces of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
For years, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection has equated the value of corporate support with social sustainability. In fact, cultural investment is not only an essential means of giving back to the local community, but also an effective method of encouraging inclusivity and accessibility. In this context, social impact becomes even more relevant today, if it is directed towards a collective growth entrusted to the transformative power of art and culture. For this reason, the anniversary celebrations focus primarily on the communities that are most directly linked to our corporate members, their employees. Guggenheim Intrapresæ’s investment in art and culture is, in fact, characterized by a commitment to corporate welfare, an essential element in the development of business culture. As well as guaranteeing free access to employees of our corporate members, the museum offers online and in-person programs, focused around the themes of the current exhibition, Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity, which are aimed at encouraging learning, exploration and cultural enrichment. The two main events in the anniversary celebrations will be on the 27 and 28 of May. Managers and entrepreneurs will come together for a weekend dedicated to art, organized in collaboration with Elle Décor Italia, and participate in a rich program of cultural events that include an exclusive evening at Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, a visit to the 59th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, and a stop at the Salone Nautico as guests of Sanlorenzo Yacht – an Institutional Patron of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, together with Lavazza and EFG. Following this, in October, the “Lunch Box” program will broadcast a series of meetings moderated by philosopher and writer, Ilaria Gasparri, streamed live on the museum’s LinkedIn channel during lunch break hours. Thirty minutes of conversations aimed at explaining how art and culture are an integral part of everyone’s working and non-working lives, and how these have a transformative, disturbing, irreverent, and visionary power that can stimulate our critical eye in relation to the world around us. Guests include internationally acclaimed pianist, Gloria Campaner; Co-President and Board Member of her family business, Carolina Cucinelli; and chef of the Venissa restaurant, Chiara Pavan.
All that is left to say is, happy birthday Guggenheim Intrapresæ!