Federico Hausammann of “Notorious attitude” has a lot to offer. Let’s just say that he is one of the top exponents of the fuck we like so much. Framing it is not easy, you have to know it in person… Always in full and at the same time super relaxed, “PR” born, active as few, stylish. In a few years he took the reins of the Hausammann Gallery, bringing it to a dimension of maximum international prestige. And we’re not talking about any gallery.
The history of the Hausammann Gallery is so fascinating that a book would not be enough. It all started in 1952, so we are talking about one of the first Italian galleries. Renato Hausammann was a barman, indeed he was World Champion of barman, and worked at the bar of the hotel “La Poste” in Cortina… Yes, of those bars where there is a table where “here Ernest Hemingway sat drinking and writing and blah blah…” Only that Hemingway, Renato becomes a friend, and as well as him also many artists. Renato then creates a circle, his house becomes a crossroads of characters like Magritte, De Chirico, Ernst, they meet and create works for him, who becomes a collector and opens a gallery, and Carlo Scarpa builds a sign with his hands, and in short, tell this story so you can not, it would take a book just, but you have to understand that here the history is really cool of those times.
Returning to Federico, who is the protagonist of the situation here, you understand well what he brings with him. Over time the gallery passes into the hands of his father Arrigo, who dies young, so it is mother Gioia and sister Beatrice to lead it, with collaborations with major contemporary artists. Until little Fede comes and takes control of the situation. Today he has focused the artistic proposal of the gallery in street art, collaborating with the greatest national and international exponents of this art. We just say this, not artists, but top Artists. Let us be told by him.
Tell us some secrets… how did the Hausammann Gallery come into being?
It all starts in ’61, when my grandfather Renato Hausammann decides to open the first gallery of modern and contemporary art in Cortina d’Ampezzo… He decides to open the gallery as a collector precisely because of the amount of works he is acquiring over the years… Some bought directly, others given to him by the artists themselves.
Less than a year ago you opened the gallery in Miami, and now a new opening in a really crazy location. Tell us what you’re doing..!
I chose to open in Miami after being with RAPTUZ TDK-CBS last year for Art Basel Miami and I realized that a place like Wynwood Art District is unique in the world! There is a constantly expanding movement of graffiti and street-art, more than 70 art galleries, Artwalk and collector’s preview every month… In short, not only Art Basel (which this year will be held from 3 to 6 December 2015) moves more than 70,000 visitors from all over the world, at Wynwood in particular every week there is something, the walls are constantly painted, there are associations that organize events of all kinds, and that’s why I also inaugurate every 2 months a new exhibition featuring one or more artists.
What artists are you dealing with at this time?
The new venue I have just inaugurated with a single show + live exhibition of Cope2. In May after returning from the STROKE ART FAIR in Munich, I will do a group show of RAPTUZ, POETRY and RAE MARTINI, international artists that exhibit permanently at both locations of Cortina d’ampezzo (IT) and Miami (USA). For Art Basel I have mega projects… I’m organizing a collective still top-secret as a project but with line-up of fear … More than 20 artists from Russia to L.A. (all thanks to Raptuz)… STAY TUNED..!!!!
There is an inspiration moment for all people. When do you get the best ideas?
I’ve always been one who thinks a lot… but then at the end of ‘good thoughts” there are very few left… In my work you don’t need inspiration… That I leave to who’s duty! (the artists), I have the good fortune of being constantly surrounded by art 24 hours a day.. Certainly more or less valid definitely, but being grown up in this world I can certainly easier to have maybe that critical eye more that makes you distinguish a true talent from what is vulgarly called fuffa… We must keep in mind that we are in the era where everyone has an artist cousin, or they feel photographers, or they believe that it is enough to make two stencils around to become the new Banksy… (that in my opinion after “Exit through the giftshop” has fucked everything up… because that’s the message it passes… go around bombing everything that whatever you do the street is of all and you have the right…. I don’t see it just like this… anyway…)
At 28 you are one of the most important international influencers in street art. Where do you see yourself in… say 10 years?
In ten years who can say…. The gallery here in Miami will surely already have a nice list of past exhibitions of all respect, and I hope that the expansion of the art market also arrives in Italy (always and anyway 130 years ago also simply compared to Germany, France, U.K. and Spain without going abroad while they have graffiti writers and street artists among the best in the world…)
Every day you are in contact with people of all kinds, undoubtedly very “cool”, often well known, who surely represent the highest cultural expression in the field of art in the broadest sense. How do you deal with these people, and what is your role?
All the artists who have exhibited at the Hausammann gallery since it opened its doors in ’61, are first of all Friends. I believe little in business for itself, I believe more in long-term working partnerships… I mean if there is no feeling at the human level. It’s hard to be at the work level. At the base of everything I think that one of the keys to the success of the Hausammann gallery, where I am the third generation is respect for each individual artist first as a person, before as a talent. I can easily and naturally relate to and interact with artists, especially if graffiti writers or ex-graffiti writers who have evolved their style, from the simple fact that I grew up in this world. With hip-hop music, graffiti, fanzines and “skateboard & tattoo culture” as some call it, I have loved this world since I was a child and I am sure that in the coming years this movement will be constantly expanding… Graffiti has been around for 50 years and they will continue to do them all over the world. always. Today is the first form of contemporary art in my opinion and that’s why I’m sure to succeed in the future with a gallery particularly oriented on this kind of art.
Our mission is to spread the fuck. You like us have a lot, what would you say to people who want to smash?
….. The breaker breaks … and knows it… does not need to be pushed.
We are looking for people with the “Notorious attitude”. People who have the courage to expose themselves, who do well and they do well. Of all the people you know, who is really Notorious?
ILTOPO #26FAMILIA
