ALBA.- From October 26, 2024, to February 16, 2025, the Fondazione Ferrero in Alba hosts Giuseppe Penone. Impronte di luce, a comprehensive retrospective exhibition dedicated to the work of one of the most prominent figures in contemporary international art. The exhibition, curated by Jonas Storsve in collaboration with the artist, presents over one hundred works, offering a visual narrative of Giuseppe Penone's (born in Garessio, 1947) artistic career, spanning from the 1960s to the present.

A Focus on the Theme of Imprints

The exhibition's central theme is "the imprint," a recurring motif in Penone's artistic exploration. This theme remains a vital element throughout his career, from his early work Alpi Marittime (1968), which marks his first experiment with the direct interaction between the body and the forest, to his latest series Impronte di luce (2022-2023), showcased for the first time in Italy during this exhibition.

Visitors find a variety of artistic expressions on display, ranging from drawings and photography to sculpting and carving, providing an in-depth look at the different media and techniques Penone uses throughout his career. The concept of the imprint, in Penone's view, symbolizes the contact between different surfaces, finding its ideal expression in nature, seen as a global ecosystem in which every element—human beings, leaves, trees, and the earth—plays an integral part.

Comprehensive Catalogue and Documentary Screenings

An illustrated catalogue, published by Skira, accompanies the exhibition. It features images of all the works on display, along with essays written by the artist, the curator, and contributions from experts like Jean-Christophe Bailly, Olivier Cinqualbre, Carlo Ossola, and Francesco Guzzetti, who coordinates the exhibition's scientific aspects.

Additionally, throughout the exhibition's duration, visitors can watch the documentary La memoria dei fluidi. Giuseppe Penone scultore by Giampaolo Penco (Italy, 2012) in the Fondazione’s auditorium. The film, which runs for 60 minutes, screens from Wednesday to Sunday at 4 PM and 5 PM. Entry to the screenings is free, and visitors can access the auditorium directly from the exhibition halls.

Giuseppe Penone and Jonas Storsve

Born in Garessio in 1947, Giuseppe Penone lives and works in Turin, where he begins exhibiting his works between 1968 and 1969. Emerging as a key figure of the Arte Povera movement, Penone’s art focuses on the process as an integral part of the final piece, where actions performed by the artist are in dialogue with natural forces, shaping the material. Trees remain a recurring element in his work, symbolizing life, culture, and sculpture. Throughout his career, Penone represents Italy at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and holds solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Stedelijk Museum (1980), National Gallery of Canada (1983), Centre Georges Pompidou (2004, 2022), Château de Versailles (2013), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2022).

The exhibition's curator, Jonas Storsve, is born in Copenhagen in 1956. After studying art history in Paris, he works as a curator at several French museums, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes and the Musée National d’art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, where he serves as head of the graphic arts department until 2023. Storsve organizes numerous exhibitions on modern and contemporary artists, including an earlier retrospective on Penone's works on paper in Strasbourg in 1991 and a recent show at the Pompidou in 2022-2023 celebrating the artist's donation of over 300 works on paper to the French museum.

This exhibition at the Fondazione Ferrero offers a rare opportunity to explore Penone’s vast artistic journey, highlighting his ability to merge the natural world with the artistic process and encouraging viewers to reflect on the profound connections between art, nature, and humanity.