On a sunny afternoon in the chic Neapolitan neighbourhood of Chiaia, I met one of Naples’ leading contemporary art collectors, Fabio Agovino. I was warmly welcomed into Palazzo Sessa, home to Fabio and his family, as well as to his vast collection of international avant-garde art with a special focus on Italy and Naples. Art graces various spaces of the palace, including the office and the outdoor terrace, as well as the jewel of the collection – the bedroom of Fabio and Sara Agovino’s daughters, Emma and Rebecca, which features pieces dedicated especially to the girls by world-class artists such as Marina Abramović and Gilbert & George. Fabio retraced for me the story of his exceptional collection, interwoven with numerous exhibitions, publications, special events, educational activities, and support programs. A unique sense of generosity and genuine joy of sharing seems to lie at the core of Agovino’s mission to make art inseparable from everyday life.
Marta Wróblewska: 2011 marked a special moment in the history of your collection.
Fabio Agovino: In 2011, I turned 40 and organised a huge party accompanied by an exhibition of works from my collection. It took place in Vico del Vasto in Chiaia, a white-cube space perfectly suited for a contemporary art show. Its title, Rising, was inspired by a work from German artist Jutta Koether and suggested an evolution and resurrection – a new beginning. The show also featured works by a young Peruvian artist Ximena Garrido Lecca whom I met through Neapolitan gallerist Mimmo Scognamiglio. Moreover, my guests were invited to participate in a compelling performance called Impulsive chorus realised by my dear friend, Mexican artist Martin Soto Climent, whom I met in Naples in 2008 during his show at Gallery T-293. This is how the idea to start presenting the collection outside of its home was born.
MW: What motivated you to share it with the broader public?
FA: The collection was, and still remains, my intimate and introspective search for meaning. However, I also enjoy sharing it, creating space for confrontation and dialogue. Contemporary art responds to our everyday experiences, offering a wonderful opportunity to enter its realm and become part of it. For me, art is a totality. It is constantly present in my life, my family, my house, and my work. Most importantly, it encourages me to see beyond what I already know.
MW: What inspired you to enter the art world?
FA: I come from a town in the Vesuvian zone, near Pompeii which I often visited for inspiration. As a teenager, I was very keen on technical drawing and even considered studying architecture, but eventually, I chose my second passion – economics. I bought my first painting when I was 28. At that age, one is still sure they know all the answers. Instead, art motivated me to embrace doubts and ask questions.
MW: What was the first work of art you acquired?
FA: I bought a piece by Mario Schifano from Galleria de’ Foscherari in Bologna. Back then, I was fascinated with the art of 1960s and 70s, represented also by artists like Mimmo Rotella or Salvatore Emblema from Naples. However, over time, I began to appreciate art that is more contemporary to my own personal experience.
MW: How do you select the works for your collection?
FA: The emotional aspect is fundamental – it underpins all my decisions. For me, collecting is a form of soul-thinking, a journey through which many choices are made, whether right or wrong. They are all part of a larger vision that shapes my life and moves my heart.
MW: So love at first sight?
FA: It’s not necessary that spontaneous. There are many artists I have followed over a long period, and some works have come back to me after many years. Of course, a deeper reflection on an artist’s career, studio visits, meetings, and discussions are important parts of this process.
MW: What’s your relationship with art galleries?
FA: My collection is deeply rooted in Naples, which has always been an important center for contemporary art, thanks to gallerists like Lucio Amelio, Lia Rumma, Alfonso Artiaco, and Umberto di Marino. For many years, private galleries were leaders when it comes to the presentation of the latest artistic trends in Naples, and I have been strongly influenced by their research. I also find the relation with gallerists stimulating, as they are often willing to share their knowledge, offering interesting perspectives and possibilities of intellectual exchange. On the other hand, I recognise the importance of art fairs and participate in them occasionally. For many years, I’ve been on the honorary committee of Miart in Milan. As a collector, though, I prefer a more intimate relationship with the artworks, so buying a piece is always a more complex process for me.
MW: Looking at your collection, I admire your courage to invest in art that doesn’t appear very commercial. I imagine many of the works are also challenging to exhibit or deposit.
FA: The collection encompasses a variety of media. I favour sculpture, which, as you observed, presents both economic and logistic challenges. The least represented medium in my collection is painting. One notable example is the surfboard by German artist Michael Krebber, which I acquired from Greene Naftali Gallery in New York. I was intrigued by its spiritual numeric symbolism.
MW: Spirituality sounds very Neapolitan! Could you elaborate on it?
FA: I believe that art should provide a sense of freedom, symbolising openness to new perspectives, including, and perhaps especially, the unknown. Hence, my curiosity for the mystical part of its creation. The first presentation of my collection at Palazzo Sessa was titled Dio c’è [God exists], inspired by Claire Fontaine’s neon piece. This phrase carries an ominous connotation; it can be found on the walls of cities in southern Italy, indicating drug-dealing areas. However, the brightness of Claire Fontaine’s neon endows it with almost sacred qualities. This is to say, by shifting the perception of things, art can overthrow social status quo and inhibitions. My interpretation of this phrase resonated with my quest for meaning in everyday existence. I continued this exploration with the show Fragments of Paradise, organised in 2017 in Chiesa di San Giuseppe delle Scalze in Naples. This church, used as an exhibition venue, fascinated me. The neon Mare Nostrum, Mare Mostrum by Runo Lagomarsino, which remains there, stands as a testament to this event. The final exhibition in this trilogy was Do Animals Go to Heaven (inspired by the work of Croatian artist Igor Grubić), held in 2022 at the baroque Chiesa del Purgatorio in Matera. It concluded the chapter of my spiritual exploration through contemporary art and allowed me to shift focus to art in everyday spaces. This new philosophy was reflected in the exhibition Landscape for an Overview, recently organised in the offices of the Zurich Bank in Naples.
My aim is to create a dialogue between contemporary art and everyday locations where it is least expected. I have collaborated with a bistro, a car dealership, the spa resort Acquapetra, and the winery L’Azienda Agricola Bellaria near Naples, where we plan to launch a sculpture park.
Last year, in collaboration with Napoli Art Days, I founded a residency program there, accompanied by a prize for emerging artists, awarded to Marta Ravasi. We just inaugurated a new exhibition by Marinella Senatore at the Scalze, returning to the church, but viewing it as a community space this time. This project marks the true beginning of our engagement with public art.
MW: Sending a message to the audience, especially in contexts where they don’t expect to encounter art, requires careful and strategic curation, doesn’t it?
FA: For years, I have relied on the expertise and intuition of Neapolitan curator and educator Francesca Blandino, whom I consider the pillar of my collection. I have also had the pleasure of working with curators such as Eugenio Viola and Andrea Viliani. The latter offered me substantial support for the exhibition Fragments of Paradise.
MW: Do you often receive loan requests from institutions?
FA: Yes, and I am very happy to fulfill them. This way, the works remain active, entering new contexts and reaching new audiences. For example, a piece from my collection by Croatian artist Dora Budor is currently on display at MoMA PS1 in New York, while another work by Isabella Costabile is being presented in Museion in Bolzano.
MW: As an experienced collector who has worked with such a wide range of institutions and creatives, what advice would you give to those starting their own collections?
FA: I get a lot of requests for advice, actually, including from colleagues in the financial field who are considering investing in art. I approach these requests with caution, though, as I believe personal interest is crucial. That’s why I encourage prospective collectors to attend exhibitions, meet artists, and organise studio visits first. Sharing experiences with other collectors can be very constructive and inspiring. That was the goal of a series of talks about different approaches to art collecting, which I initiated together with curator Marianna Agliottone a few years ago. The first meeting, held in Naples, featured Andrea Viliani, then director of the Madre Museum, privately the son of a great collector, in conversation with Fabio Frasca, a young, practically self-taught art enthusiast from the peripheries of Naples who was just beginning his collection. The second talk, held in Lucca, involved renowned notary and art collector Vittorio Gaddi and Lorenzo Balbi, director of MAMbo – Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna. In this case, we aimed to compare private and public collecting practices. The third and most recent talk, in Verona, included Marilena Pirelli, chief editor of “Art Economy”, and a representative from the legal firm Studio Carnelutti, focusing on the economic aspects of professional collecting. I particularly valued this project for its practical dimension, which aligns well with my core belief that art should be lived, and that it makes life worth living.
MW: Thank you very much for this beautiful message at the conclusion of our conversation.
FA: Thank you too.
