Exhibition “Balla ’12 Dorazio ’60. Dove la luce”, curated by Gabriella Belli

The exhibition “Dove la luce” ("Where the Light") is the story of an extraordinary elective affinity between two great masters of 20th century Italian art, Giacomo Balla (1871- 1958) and Piero Dorazio (1927-2005). As the title - from a collection of poems of the same name by Giuseppe Ungaretti - suggests, the theme is light, the wellspring of all life, but also an enduring challenge for the artists who have sought to engage with it in their works.

The show is a visual exploration conceived by Danna Battaglia Olgiati that presents 47 masterpieces created in two different periods: Balla’s Compenetrazioni iridescenti (Iridescent Interpenetrations) saw the light in 1912, and Piero Dorazio began producing his famous Trame (weaves) in 1960.
“There are almost fifty years between these works, yet what still captivates and intrigues us about the phenomenon of light, that these works interpret and pay tribute to, is the mystery that lies beyond all the scientific explanations, and that magnetically pulls our gaze into the surfaces” Gabriella Belli, curator of the exhibition, notes.

The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue published by Mousse-Milano, featuring texts by Gabriella Belli, Francesco Tedeschi, author of Piero Dorazio’s Catalogue Raisonée, and Riccardo Passoni, director of the GAM in Turin, where Giacomo Balla’s most important works on paper are preserved. The volume is rounded off with rich critical texts edited by Giulia Arganini (for Giacomo Balla) and Valentina Sonzogni (for Piero Dorazio) complete the volume. An interview with Mario Botta offers insight into the design of the exhibition.

More information

Catalogue