Franco Losvizzero's Alchemical Glass Works at Ex Fornace del Canova

Curated by Lori Adragna as part of the #alchemy cycle, Franco Losvizzero's solo exhibition 'In Vitro' presents twenty-one blown glass works at the Ex Fornace del Canova in Rome. The pieces evoke ancient alchemical and esoteric mysteries, featuring formless figures and medieval-resonant glass masks that reference the subterranean world of alchemy as a metaphor for creative processes and the artist's melancholic relationship with the world. Golden ovals symbolizing the philosopher's stone and complex transformations depict arcane, primitive, and enchanted characters suspended in void, reminiscent of apotropaic rituals. Losvizzero, like Albrecht Dürer, manipulates glass from the nigredo stage (deepest black) to rubedo (final alchemical transformation), conveying ancient knowledge. The exhibition runs until November 11, 2016, at CANOVA22, Via Canova 22, Rome.