Amalia Del Ponte's Dual Exhibition in Milan Explores Sound and Light

A dual exhibition of Amalia Del Ponte (born 1936, Milan) opened across two Milan museums, curated by Eleonora Fiorani at Studio Museo Francesco Messina and Iolanda Ratti at Museo del Novecento. The show at Studio Messina features the litophone 'Aria della freccia' (1995), carved from Trani stone and painted with encaustic, performed by La Scala percussionist Elio Marchesini. Surrounding sculptures include 'Macina' (1986) in Selvanera stone and 'Consonanze' (1986) in Italian serpentine, alongside photographs, videos, and drawings exploring the relationship between matter and acoustics, culminating in the book 'La forma del Suono'. At Museo del Novecento, the focus shifts to light with 'Tropi' (named in 1967 by Vittorio Fagone), small plexiglas sculptures (approx. 20 cm) that manipulate space and reflection. Del Ponte began using polymethyl methacrylate in 1964, studying refraction, and from 1969 in Rome worked on large-scale pieces. The exhibition traces her career through works shown at Galleria Montenapoleone, Vismara, and Annunciata, including the 'Area Percettiva' environment, the 1973 First International Prize for Sculpture at the São Paulo Biennial, and the work 'How do you feel?' (1971) in plexiglas and white cement, acquired by the museum. Barbara Garatti, Del Ponte's studio assistant, coordinated the project.