Serena Fineschi's 'Come sta la luna?' and the Art of Wishes

In the latest installment of ArtsLife's 'Un’opera a settimana' series, Italian artist Serena Fineschi discusses her public artwork 'Come sta la luna?' (How is the moon?), installed at the Complesso Museale di Valdimontone in Siena. The piece, created in 2026, is a sphere formed from over 15,000 coins donated by members of the Contrada di Valdimontone, symbolizing collective desires and community. Fineschi also reflects on her ongoing series 'Forme di desiderio' (2013–2026), which involves nocturnal, unauthorized visits to fountains to make paper rubbings of coins left by wish-makers. The artist traces her inspiration to childhood memories of her uncle Romeo throwing coins into Fonte Gaia in Piazza del Campo, Siena, in the early 1980s, believing each coin could alter one's destiny. The series and the public work explore themes of desire, memory, and the intersection of personal and communal hopes. The article is part of a weekly feature where artists select and discuss one of their own works, offering insights into their creative process and hidden meanings.