When I passed this wooden trunk, I was instantly reminded of the work 'Spazio di Luce' by the Italian artist Giuseppe Penone, a leading figure of the Arte Povera movement. The term was coined by the Italian critic Germano Celant, who sadly passed in 2020, after contracting Covid-19. Arte Povera does not mean poor art; the focus of this movement are materials and works processes.
Over the past five decades, Penone dedicated himself to the organic world. Growing up in the northwest region of Piedmont, where the forests provided him with endless inspiration. He continuously pursued his preoccupation with the woodlands. His tree sculptures reveal the interplay of art and nature in the physicality of marble, bronze, wood, and clay.
