Andrea and Fabio Fustinoni decided to award the miramART by Grand Hotel Miramare prize to the 2019 work Untitled from “Military Makeup” by Ali Zanjan, an Iranian artist, class of 1986, represented by the AG Galerie in Tehran.

The image was chosen because it disorients the viewer. In fact, the pop colors clash with the image of a young man who is no longer there because he suffered violence by having to undergo a conscription obligation that also affected his physical appearance by forcing him to cut his hair, for example.  The artist therefore decides to enhance with bright colors what the regime tries to erase.

The work will be displayed in the miramArt collection at the Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure with the hope that the work will help to spread the drama Iran is experiencing and give greater sensitivity.

The miramART acquisition prize establishes a new connection between MIA Fair and the non-profit cultural association, founded by the Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Ligure with the aim of supporting contemporary art.

To regularly promote conversations related to contemporary art, the miramART association intends to support an artist taking part in the project Underskin, Stories from Iran through the awarding and acquisition of one of his works, which will then be included in its own collection.

“As collectors, we have always privileged photography as a medium, and establishing a prize within the framework of MIA is a natural outcome, in particular a prize related to IRAN, so that it can help maintain attention on the drama the country is experiencing,” explain Andrea and Fabio Fustinoni.

This initiative aims at supporting contemporary art and giving visibility to creative talents, promoting the dissemination of artistic culture and sharing important experiences for artists, curators, collectors and gallerists.

The acquisition of a work from the collection is in fact only one of the ways in which the association supports contemporary art, in addition to the constant support provided to exhibition projects and artistic productions.

Since 2019, miramART is also the name of the contemporary art collection of the Grand Hotel Miramare, which has been printing an annual catalogue of the works exhibited since 2021. This confirms its commitment in enhancing the contemporary artistic heritage.