Gabriele Landi's Monumental Paper Map at Srisa Gallery, Florence

Key facts

• "Doveva essere qui?" is Gabriele Landi's solo exhibition at Srisa Gallery in Florence, curated by Federico Giannini
• The exhibition runs until October 28, 2026
• The central work, Mappa, is a 10-meter-long, 1.40-meter-high watercolor paper roll divided into four equal parts and painted on both sides
• The overall composition measures 250 x 560 cm
• Landi cut the paper freehand along a grid of 0.7 mm squares separated by 2 mm lines, using a small sharp blade
• Fluorescent pink and orange were applied to the reverse of each sheet, with a final white layer tempering the colors
• The work is displayed in plexiglass cases that protect the paper and capture light refraction
• A related smaller work was shown in 2024 in "Raggio Verde," curated by Michela Eremita at the Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide in Siena
• Landi traces inspiration to childhood maps of trails around Padola in the Comelico Superiore, near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Passo di Monte Croce Comelico in the Province of Belluno
• The text compares Landi's practice to Maria Lai's Geografie, begun in the 1980s