Giovanni Frangi's 'Urpflanze' at Villa Carlotta

Giovanni Frangi's exhibition 'Urpflanze' opens at Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina, Lake Como, running until June. The show features paintings and sculptures that engage with the historic villa and its botanical park. On the first floor, works from the Pasadena cycle, created for the Huntington Botanical Garden in California, are displayed alongside pieces from Ansedonia, evoking Mario Schifano's forest, and impressionist-inspired Ninfee. The exhibition culminates in 'Alles ist Blatt', a synthesis of Frangi's practice. The second floor presents abstract plaster sculptures reminiscent of a wunderkammer, overlooking rooms with classical masterpieces. In the park, Frangi's 'Sherazade', 'Cacao', and 'Nobu' are installed. The title 'Urpflanze', inspired by Goethe, refers to the primordial plant, reflecting Frangi's fascination with nature's forms. Frangi explains that the venue's location and changing light inspired him to create site-specific works, including a jukebox sculpture 'Sant'Andrea' placed before a window. Paintings are mounted on self-supporting structures rather than hung on walls, allowing them to be moved with the light. A fallen Douglas fir in the park is wrapped in painted fabric lianas, and other sculptures are dispersed throughout the grounds.