Antonella De Nisco's artist books on display in Reggio Emilia.

Through March 29, 2025, the Panizzi Library of Reggio Emilia is hosting, in the Bellocchi Room, the exhibition Pietr&fiori. Artist’s books by Antonella De Nisco, curated by Eleonora Ghedini. The exhibition takes its name from the eponymous series of artist’s books launched in 2019, presented here in a wide selection. Evolving over time, this research finds its ideal place in the Panizzi Library, questioning the traditional conception of the book as a mere object. Pietr&fiori was born from the dialogue between organic and inorganic, fragile and resistant elements, weaving unprecedented connections through continuous material experimentation. From the beginning of the exhibition, the relationship with nature is noticeably manifested in the work Herbarium (2020), which offers a sensory experience that is also tactile. This installation takes the form of an authentic, uninterrupted bloom, born from a precious donation of textiles from thehistorical Modateca Deanna archive in Reggio Emilia. Between printed patterns, graphic signs and words traced in pencil, the audience is invited to a reflection on the value of landscape.

Already a theorist ofclandestine art in the 1990s, Antonella De Nisco made a name for herself with her environmental installations, of which the exhibition presents an emblematic example, Bacobosco (2023). The work is inspired by the stage in which the silkworm “ascends to the forest” to form the cocoon on the rearing supports. The encounter between metal and crocheted fiber thus generates openings to the world, offering ever-changing and ever-changing perspectives.

“The entire artistic production of Antonella De Nisco,” explains Eleonora Ghedini, “recounts a constant aspiration to the natural dimension, which unravels in a multitude of forms that can be understood according to three main meanings: nature as matter, nature as subject, and nature as landscape. Favoring organic fibers, among which sisal and wicker stand out, as well as fine fabrics such as silk and, last but not least, paper in different fashions, the artist sews, weaves and weaves, tirelessly expanding her research stitch by stitch. In the act of juxtaposing seemingly irreconcilable materials with each other in terms of consistency, origin and meaning, De Nisco thus moves firmly into the realm of oxymoron, giving rise to unexpected juxtapositions, never dictated by pure chance.”

For info: www.bibliotecapanizzi.it/eventi/pietrfiori/

Hours: Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free admission

Antonella De Nisco's artist books on display in Reggio Emilia.

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.