The book collection, donated and received by IED in 2023, includes an amount of 1180 volumes, mostly monographic on contemporary art and jewellery. The cataloging project had the primary objective of valorising the individual specimens, respecting the organic nature of the collection and its original ordering (that is the one that had already been adopted by the artist). It was also deemed appropriate to collect the inserts that were gradually found within the volumes, reporting their presence in the exemplar notes of the bibliographic record and keeping them in a separate container designed to preserve their protection. This "shirt treatment" had a double value: highlighting the author's approach to the documents he collected and at the same time allowing an historical reconstruction of the birth and evolution of his collection.
Labels were affixed to the volumes on the spine, and an ex libris was placed on the title page, which contributed to enhancing their value and specificity.
The donated volumes can be searched on our OPAC at the following link: https://ied.infoteca.it/fondo-montebello.
Physically the material is located at the Library in via Sciesa in closed cabinets (with glass doors) with labels identifying the sections. The consultation is also open to an external public.
Biographical note
After having attended the Higher School of Art applied to Industry of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, since 1964 GianCarlo Montebello has worked as an apprentice at Dino Gavina's Milanese space where he had the opportunity to have some important meetings, among others with Carlo Scarpa, Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, who will contribute to marking his future path.
In 1967, together with his wife Teresa Pomodoro, he founded GEM-Montebello with which he produced limited editions of important Italian and foreign artists, including Alighiero Boetti, Lucio Fontana, Man Ray, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Giò Pomodoro and architects including Ettore Sottsass.
In 1970, during a stay in Paris he met and became friends with Man Ray; with him he produced various jewels including the famous Optic Topic mask, published in 1974 in a hundred copies and a pair of earrings worn by Catherine De Neuve.
Since 1978 GianCarlo has concentrated on his own creations, which have also been exhibited on important recent occasions, including Medusa - Bijoux et tabous.