Invito all’Opera celebrates 23 years of exhibitions at one of Rome’s leading galleries, Il Ponte Contemporanea. The book presents a fascinating dialogue between the well-known international names of the historical avant-garde and the visionary up and coming artists of today.

A section of the book entitled “Crossroads” retraces the history of the gallery and looks to the future as the gallery becomes increasingly international and open-minded. This philosophy is envisioned by the opening of the Il Ponte Chu Contemporanea gallery in Wuhan, China, a lively international area in constant creative development. Having understood the historical value of the Roman gallery, and by crossing this cultural bridge perfectly represented by the Chu ideogram, this collaboration opens a new season of exchange between East and West, helping to affirm the dynamism embodied by contemporary art.

Achille Bonito Oliva is a leading Italian contemporary art critic and curator based in Rome, where he is a professor of History of Contemporary Art at La Sapienza University.