GALLERIA TOMMASO CALABRO – MILAN
Casa Iolas. Citofonare Vezzoli

On September 24th, Tommaso Calabro Gallery presented ‘Villa Iolas. Please Dial Vezzoli’, a show curated by Francesco Vezzoli. This art exhibition recalls the gallerist who introduced Surrealism to the United States and, as if that’s not enough, organised Andy Warhol’s first show, none other than Alexander Iolas.

For the newly-inaugurated exhibition ‘Casa Iolas. Citofonare Vezzoli’ (in English, ‘Villa Iolas. Please Dial Vezzoli’), Italian contemporary artist Francesco Vezzoli unearthed, in collaboration with Tommaso Calabro Gallery, the memory of Greece-born art dealer and gallerist Alexander Iolas, key figure of the second half of the 20th century. This commemorative show is the fruit of Vezzoli’s research on the topic of fame and Calabro’s aim to shed light on some of the most relevant yet forgotten gallerists. In fact, together with exhibition designer Filippo Bisagni, they did recreate the rooms and, most importantly, the atmosphere of Athens’ Villa Iolas, displaying Vezzoli’s own sculptures and embroideries, as well as works by artists exhibited at Iolas’ galleries. ’Casa Iolas does not only pay homage to a great gallerist that has almost been forgotten, but also to a gallery culture based on relationships of friendship, trust, and mutual esteem, which seem to have disappeared from the contemporary art world. For this reason, I wanted to honour Iolas in all his facets, as a gallerist and as a collector, as a dandy of the art market and as an aesthete’, said Francesco Vezzoli about this long-awaited show. ‘Villa Iolas. Please Dial Vezzoli’ will be displayed – from September 25th, 2020 to January 16th, 2021 – in Milan’s Tommaso Calabro Gallery: visit now this one-of-a-kind art exhibition, embarking on a voyage to Iolas’ long-lost, marvelous world!

’Casa Iolas does not only pay homage to a great gallerist that has almost been forgotten, but also to a gallery culture based on relationships of friendship, trust, and mutual esteem, which seem to have disappeared from the contemporary art world.’