Andrea Mastrovito's Alchemical Murals at Angelini Factory in Ancona

Andrea Mastrovito, winner of the Ermanno Casoli Prize, has created V.I.T.R.I.O.L., a series of carved murals at the Angelini pharmaceutical plant in Ancona. The project involved about one hundred employees in a collective workshop aimed at team building. The title references the alchemical acronym for the philosopher's stone, and the work explores the relationship between alchemy and pharmacy. Mastrovito describes the process as a "playing field" where teams follow a sketch but embrace chance and accident, similar to monotype printing. The murals reveal the wall's layered structure through carving, with the geometric solid from Dürer's "Melencolia" appearing as a graphic motif. The project is curated by Marcello Smarrelli and will be presented to the public on September 16. The work bridges the creative spontaneity of the artist's team and the efficiency-oriented philosophy of the company, suggesting that risk-taking leads to true innovation.