Brian Eno Brings Diffuse Art Project to Parma

Brian Eno, the influential musician and 2023 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, returns to Italy with a diffuse art project activating two historic sites in Parma: the Complesso Monumentale di San Paolo (recently restored, including the bell tower, Cloister of the Fountain, and surrounding rooms) and the Ospedale Vecchio, opening to the public from April 30. The project comprises two complementary exhibitions running until August 2. At San Paolo, Eno presents 'Seed,' a two-phase project beginning with a site-specific audio installation titled 'Installation for Giardini di San Paolo,' created in collaboration with journalist and writer Ece Temelkuran. After its three-month presentation, the work (pressed on vinyl) will enter the permanent collection of Casa del Suono. At the Ospedale Vecchio, the vast spaces of the Crociera host 'My Light Years,' the most comprehensive collection ever assembled of Eno's installations and audiovisual works, including seminal generative pieces like '77 Million Paintings' (2006) and 'Face to Face' (2002). Eno describes his generative approach as analogous to gardening: planting seeds and observing interactions. He notes the San Paolo work is designed specifically for the space, which has been closed for many years, while the Ospedale Vecchio exhibition spans from early 1970s light installations to contemporary works, requiring long walks through the immense building.