David Dolcini's wooden sculptures fill deconsecrated church in Piacenza

Designer David Dolcini's exhibition 'Le forme del tempo' opens at Volumnia, a refined exhibition space inside the deconsecrated church of Sant'Agostino in Piacenza, curated by Marco Sammicheli. The show presents essential wooden sculptures that blend influences from Rietveld, Mari, Yanagi, Aalto, and Scarpa, as well as Scandinavian design and Japanese calligraphy. This is Dolcini's second intervention at Volumnia, following a December 2024 installation on the church's parvis. The works, some created specifically for this space, are described as meditative objects that invite contemplation. Sammicheli, curator for design, fashion, and craftsmanship at Triennale Milano and director of the Museo del Design Italiano, notes that the objects function like haikus, completed by the viewer. Dolcini's practice draws on his family's woodworking tradition and emphasizes manual skill. The exhibition includes pieces from his Timemade project, which has previously appeared in Milan, Denmark, and in a book with the ADI Design Museum. Key works include the tall Spina chairs, Supino mirrors, and the large Portale. The show runs in the nave of the basilica, from the parvis to the apse.