Marco Tirelli's 'Anni Luce' Exhibition at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome

An exhibition titled 'Anni Luce' by Italian artist Marco Tirelli is currently on view at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. The presentation features forty-one large-scale paintings on wood panels created specifically for this occasion. Tirelli, born in Rome in 1956, explores themes of time, memory, and perception through a series of works that engage with light and darkness. The exhibition is curated by Mario Codognato. The artworks are arranged in a linear installation that evokes an astronomical parallel, with forms like cylinders, spheres, structural elements, and flowers emerging from shadows. A central focus is the use of black, particularly in works such as 'Senza Titolo' n. 17, a deep black square that the artist describes as representing infinite potential rather than absence. The paintings employ achromatic tonal gradations and an optical rarefaction technique that causes forms to dissolve as viewers approach, connecting to traditions like pointillism and vanitas symbolism. The exhibition runs concurrently with a retrospective of Mario Schifano at the same venue. Tirelli's recent career includes a presidency at the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca (2023-2024) and previous exhibitions in Milan, London, and Antwerp. The show positions his work in dialogue with contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, while emphasizing transience and the fragility of visual experience. Photographs of the installation are credited to Stefano Bonilli. The article was written by Alessandro Iazeolla and originally published on Artribune.