Diego Perrone installs underwater glass sculpture for Hypermaremma

Diego Perrone has created 'Color Blu Stramilione', a site-specific project for Hypermaremma, the public art festival in Maremma, Italy. The title derives from a word in a nursery rhyme by Gianni Rodari, 'stramilione', evoking an impossible measure. The blue references Alighiero Boetti's definition of the color of the sea and sky. The project comprises two interventions: one in the Grotta della Tagliata in Ansedonia, where a fused glass sculpture was swum into place and installed on the seabed, interacting with sunlight to create a kaleidoscopic environment; the other in the Casa dello Scheletro at the Ancient City of Cosa, a twin glass work set within a Roman domus of the Parco Archeologico di Ansedonia. The underwater piece features bas-reliefs of marine motifs, while the terrestrial one incorporates elements of earth and cultivation, blending sacred effigy with rural symbolism. Co-founder Carlo Pratis described the process of waiting hours for perfect light and the challenge of floating the heavy glass mass. The festival's edition extends to the Ancient City of Cosa, linking the ancient city and its port. Pratis noted that installing art under the sea transforms the sea into an exhibition space, fostering an intimate relationship with viewers who must swim to reach the grotto.