Salvatore Pica

Salvatore Pica (7 January 1939 – 25 April 2022) was an Italian art and design entrepreneur. He was one of the first to promote design and contemporary art culture in post-war southern Italy.[1][2]

Salvatore Pica
Born(1939-01-07)7 January 1939
Naples, Italy
Died25 April 2022(2022-04-25) (aged 83)
Naples, Italy
Pen namePick&Paik
OccupationEntrepreneur, cultural operator, writer

Ellisse center for design

In 1968, the Centro Ellisse opened in Naples,[3] a city with many antiquarian furniture shops and restorers. Pica proposed selling modern Italian-designed products from manufacturers like Driade,[4] Alessi and Kartell, and displaying them in a house-like setting. Following this innovative showroom style, the shop changed to sell artworks by contemporary Neapolitan artists[5] and ones from his friend Lucio Amelio's Modern Art Agency.

Work as cultural operator

'Centro Ellisse' was a sponsoring partner of Naples' Academy of Fine Art, producing competitions and exhibitions for art students.[6] Ellisse published books on design, art, theatre, and anthropology under the editorial project "Quaderni Ellisse". Its authors included Giulio Baffi,[7] Stefano De Stefano, and photographers including Fabio Donato.[8]

At the Pica Gallery, Pica worked as curator and gallerist, supporting young artists amongst whom were Lino Fiorito, Gennaro Castellano, Adriana De Manes, Matteo Attruia,[9] and Pierre-Yves Le Duc.[10] He also helped re-discover artists he had promoted in the past including Renato Barisani and Sergio Fermariello.[11]

Together with Lucio Rufolo, Pica was the formal founder of "Accademia della catastrofe",[12] a situationist movement which involved Neapolitan writers.

Pica wrote about anthropology in an autobiographical and ethnographical style.[12] He wrote about metropolitan anthropology, women, and Neapolitans in books published by houses including Dante & Descartes and Colonnese.[12]

Pica died in Naples on 25 April 2022, after contracting COVID-19.[13]

Bibliography
  • La notte è dura ma non ci fa paura (1990, Colonnese)[11]
  • La donna napoletana (1991, Colonnese)[12]
  • Il Maschio Napoletano (1996, Dante & Descartes)[11]
  • Tipi da baretto (1997, Dante & Descartes)[12]
  • Vissi d'Arte: Quarant’anni sui marciapiedi dell’arte 1968–2008 (2008, Profeta/Imprint)[12]
  • La Rabbia Esaudita (2012, Enzo Albano)[11]
  • I napoletani (2014, Enzo Albano)[11][12]

References
  1. D'Antonio, Daniela (2 January 2005). "Salvatore Pica, le cinque vite di mister Pick il re della notte". La Repubblica.
  2. Schiano Di Zenise, Vittoria (25 February 2015). "IL SURREALE MONDO DI SALVATORE PICA – Ischiacity". Ischiacity.
  3. Silvestro, Paola (2008). Vissi d'arte: Quarant' anni sui marciapiedi dell'Arte 1968 – 2008. Napoli: Edizioni Imprint Profeta. p. 8. ISBN 978-88-902484-2-9.
  4. De Fusco, Renato (1988). Il gioco del design : vent'anni di attività della Driade. Napoli: Electa Napoli. ISBN 88-435-2576-X.
  5. Picone Petrusa, Maria Antonietta (2008). Mediterraneo. Le gallerie d'arte moderna e contemporanea in Campania. Pozzuoli (NA): Paparo. p. 343. ISBN 978-88-87111-69-9.
  6. Profeta, Alfredo (2008). Vissi d'arte: Quarant'anni sui marcipiedi dell'Arte 1968 – 2008. Napoli: Profeta Imprint edizioni. p. 125. ISBN 978-88-902484-2-9.
  7. Profeta, Alfredo. "Andavamo per certe semideserte strade, ora deserte". Salvatore Pica website.
  8. "1968". www.salvatorepica.it.
  9. "A Flower for Piet Sold Out by Matteo Attruia". www.massimodeluca.it. 19 May 2021.
  10. Pierre-Yves Le Duc on his beginnings in Naples thanks to Salvatore Pica: "Feci vedere a Salvatore Pica quei primi cicli di produzione, in occasione di un mio compleanno festeggiato nel suo spazio Pick and Paik, Il classico baretto frequentato da molti artisti appassionati d'arte e letteratura dell'epoca Risale quindi a 25 anni fa la mia prima mostra: fu un successo immeritato. Si vendettero tutte le opere esposte e di questo sono molto riconoscente sia a Salvatore sia ai miei primi collezionisti che con la loro fiducia diedero avvio al seguito delle mie follie. Di conseguenza Salvatore mi propose di replicare. Dopo il compleanno del 14 novembre, esposi da lui anche il 6 dicembre." Press Release for the exhibition Andare avanti sino al "via" at NEA gallery, 26 October – 28 November 2018, Naples.
  11. Trione, Vincenzo (2017). Atlante dell'Arte Contemporanea a Napoli e in Campania 1966–2016. Verona: Mondadori Electa S.p.A. p. 265. ISBN 978-88-918-1085-4.
  12. Giannini, Luciano (7 January 2019). "Gli ottanta anni di Salvatore Pica". Il Mattino.
  13. Napoli, è morto Salvatore Pica: operatore culturale ucciso dal Covid Archived 27 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)
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