Siphonophores: Anversa and Cornelius Turn Gallery into Living Organism

At Anni Wu Gallery in Milan, the two-person exhibition 'Siphonophores' by Ludovica Anversa (Milan, 1996) and Manuel Cornelius (Oberhausen, 1991) transforms the gallery into a sensitive, unstable organism. The title references siphonophores, colonial marine creatures that function as a single being, mirroring the show's themes of interdependence and boundary loss. Curated with a critical text by Edoardo Durante, the exhibition creates a 'zone of instability' where images never fully reveal themselves. Anversa's paintings feature ectoplasmic presences and barely formed bodies, built through veiling, abrasion, and removal, suggesting multiple temporalities and constant mutation. Cornelius's sculptures use modular units and digital processes, employing agar gelatins derived from seaweed to introduce living, uncontrollable elements that transform over time. The dialogue between the two practices is atmospheric rather than illustrative, sharing a vision of the living as an unstable, porous system. The exhibition runs until July 25, 2026, at Anni Wu Gallery, Via R. Pilo, 14, Milan.