GROWING ROOTS

We stumbled onto the Growing Roots exhibition, held in the Royal Palace of Milan, trying to escape the unlikely rainy weather. The exhibition celebrated the last 15 years in Italian art through its diversity and quality while capturing Italy’s contemporary art scene. Sponsored by the Cultural Office of the City of Milan, the exhibition included painting, sculpture, installation, video performance, drawing, sound and colour. Curated by Giacinto Di Pietrantonio and Yuko Hasegawa, the show unfolded through the diverse rooms of the Appartamento dei Principi, opening with a section on the history of the prize conceived by Riccardo Arena, which was followed by the rooms dedicated to the winners of the Furla Art Award.

I really enjoyed this exhibition as there were a lot of captivating and inspiring pieces, such as ‘Lost & Found’ - a simple project that began in 2005, that incorporated a series of suitcases filled with objects from the artist’s travels, which would be locked and abandoned in the exhibition space - as it evoked curiosity about the life of its owner and the possible contents of the suitcase. We also got in for free which was a really nice touch.

Sisley Xhafa, Rocket Ship, 2011

This was one of my favourite pieces from the exhibition as the curator explained that the work is related to the artist's childhood memory - moving the wheelbarrow would spoil the 'Rocket Ship', which needs to be plugged in order to shine; this evokes the recurrent theme of migration and isolation perceived by the artist.

Pietro Roccasalva, Myrrhina, 2008

Sisley Xhafa, Tractatus Logico Flat, 2013

Piece inspired by a philosophical notion of Baruch Spinoza and Ludwig Wittgenstein - 'Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent'. The coffin covered with lottery tickets activates the themes of death and gambling, logic and randomness.

Chiara Fumai

Matteo Rubbi, Gli elementi, 2010

The work is an attempt to collect and present the 92 natural elements from Mendeleev's original periodic table, unearthing them in ordinary objects - the collected elements have purposely been arranged in random positions to create an odd space.

Sissi, VolumeInterno, 2012

Sissi, VolumeInterno, 2012

Sissi, VolumeInterno, 2012

I was captivated by the difference between the contemporary art pieces and the historical interior of the exhibit room - especially the grand, antique chandeliers.

#GrowingRoots #Milano #art #SisleyXhafa #PietroRoccasalva #ChiaraFumai #MatteoRubbi #Sissi