Cosmologie greche (Greek Cosmologies) is the title of a book that marked part of my high school years; in what was then called “prima classico,” now the third year, our teacher decided that, alongside the philosophy textbook, we would read and study this book focused on a core theme of that history. The tools and knowledge of that world were obviously limited, but it is essential to understand how the relationship with what surrounds us has always been inseparable from both an epistemological and ontological point of view. In this exhibition are the works of fifteen artists with different stories. For some of them, the theme of the cosmos is direct; for others, it is a reference; for others still, it is a symbol that leads to something else. In the layout of the exhibition, the works were not grouped, but in the catalogue text I tried to trace a sort of fil rouge to guide the reader through this reflection, which certainly does not aim to offer answers, but rather to pose new and stimulating questions. For some of the artists in the show, the cosmos is a real starting point for reflection — as it is for Carlotta Roda, who has been passionate about astronomical photography since her teenage years and has been pursuing it with professional equipment for about four years. “In astronomical photography, one must take into account the limits of the human eye, which cannot perceive correct brightness.” Each of her images is the result of long preparation, a project-based methodology that openly contrasts with the hasty and non-projectual nature of photos taken with smartphones. It is a research on time, whose point of reference is man, who will never be able to see the present of the universe. The images in the exhibition are the Crescent Nebula, which is 4,700 light-years away and belongs to the Milky Way, while the second presents Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy. The photographable portion of the whole in which we are immersed like particles is extremely limited, and what we are allowed to see no longer exists. Roda’s two works in the show are composed of three parts each: microcosm, macrocosm, megacosm. This first part, just described, is placed at the highest point in the space. The second part of the installation consists of images of skyscrapers in New York, Chicago, Dubai, photographed at night, where the sky acts as a backdrop; it is the dimension related to man and his daily life. At the lowest point of the installation is a convex mirror, where the viewer is invited to reflect and become aware of themselves. All of this leads to existential questions. The work on the cosmos is, in reality, a work about man, about our limits, about our smallness in the face of the universe. […]

Curatorial text by Angela Madesani