Alex Urso's 'Tutto il peso del cielo' Opens in a Former Orphanage in Narni

Alex Urso (born 1987, Civitanova Marche) presents 'Tutto il peso del cielo' at the Ex Istituto Beata Lucia, a small church within a 16th-century palazzo in Narni. Curated by Lorenzo Rubini, the exhibition transforms the space into a monumental diorama addressing childhood trauma. The building served as an orphanage until the 1980s and once hosted Grand Tour artists like Corot and Turner. Urso uses five flag-sized fabric prints of anonymous families from the complex's archives, placed on the ground with river stones from the Nera River. Three taxidermied birds (two sparrows, one canary) are positioned on a column, altar, and holy water font, referencing Jan Fabre's 'Songs of the Canaries' (2024). A poem by the artist about a child killing a canary with a slingshot drives the visual narrative; an antique slingshot is placed in a confessional. The installation evokes Joseph Cornell's shadow boxes.