Alfredo Pirri's 'Passi' Illuminates Abandoned Power Plant in Bergamo

The tenth edition of Contemporary locus, a series reactivating abandoned historical sites in Bergamo through contemporary art, has opened at the former Daste e Spalenga power plant. Fifteen days after the opening of 'Babel' at the Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai, the association presents an installation by Alfredo Pirri (born 1957 in Cosenza, lives in Rome) titled 'Passi' (2000-2016). The post-industrial building, constructed in 1927, once generated energy for nearby textile mills employing over 600 workers, mostly women from the Bergamo valleys. Abandoned in the mid-1960s after the textile industry relocated, it was partially renovated in 2000 but remained closed. Pirri's installation covers hundreds of square meters with horizontal mirrors that reflect the architecture and history of the space, creating a dilated, collective spatiality. The mirrors capture and fragment light, emphasizing surface cracks. At night, a controlled lighting system synthesizes and diffuses captured light for six minutes every hour, transforming the large windows into a beacon. The opening featured a video by Lab 80 Bergamo directed by Sergio Visinoni showing the plant before renovation. Throughout the summer, the site will host dance, theater, music, cinema, and performances. Curated by Paola Tognon, the exhibition runs until July 24, 2016.