Genius Loci Cortina: Seven Artists Reinvent the Dolomites in a Private Villa

In the summer of 1872, Amelia Edwards and Lucy Renshaw traveled to Cortina d'Ampezzo, describing the Dolomites as the pinnacle of mountain beauty. Over 150 years later, gallerist Clara Pacifico Natoli and collector Valentina Chiminelli Parolin channeled that spirit into Genius Loci Cortina, a project inviting seven artists to reside at the Parolin family villa, Il Castelletto, from May to July. The artists—Giacomo Costa, Massimo Catalani, Matteo Basilé, Vincenzo Marsiglia, Matteo Sanna, Antonio Barbieri, and Roberto Maria Lino—created works responding to the local landscape and culture, exhibited on August 24 at the villa. The show centered on Costa's 2018 video 'Time-lapse 3' from the Parolin collection, which inspired the others. Catalani used dolomite dust to depict peaks; Basilé created an augmented reality portrait of a local nymph; Marsiglia used HoloLens 2 to overlay his signature stars on nature and historic buildings; Sanna captured the waters of Lago Limedes; Barbieri transformed data from the Boite river and his own EEG into sculptures; and Lino stitched traditional Ampezzan fabrics into a banner and painting. The Parolins and Pacifico acted as patrons, opening their home to the public, who saw Cortina through fresh eyes. The project highlighted a utilitarian approach to patronage, engaging both locals and tourists.