Helidon Xhixha Brings Monumental Steel Sculptures to Lake Iseo

From June 24 to October 1, 2023, Albanian artist Helidon Xhixha presents the exhibition ACQUARIATERRAFUOCO on Lake Iseo, curated by Ilaria Bignotti and Camilla Remondina. The show features large stainless steel sculptures, including a four-meter-tall Iceberg installed on the lakeside promenade, visible from a public walkway, and works such as Abbraccio di Luce, Lancio di Luce, and Satellite in Piazza Garibaldi's Portici. The project is organized by Fondazione l'Arsenale and includes a parallel solo show at the foundation's space with wall sculptures, sketches, and publications. Xhixha, who lives between Milan and Dubai, is known for monumental public art that engages with the environment. His past works include The Renaissance of the Twin Towers in Venice (2007), participation in the Syrian pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale (2015) with the floating Iceberg, and Shining Rock in Pietrasanta (2016), which attracted 50,000 visitors in four months. He also created Bliss at Somerset House in London (2017), winning the Public Medal at the first London Design Biennale, and Riflessi di Luce in Lugano (2019). The exhibition on Lake Iseo inevitably invites comparison to Christo's Floating Piers (2016), which generated €88 million in economic impact over 16 days. The curators acknowledge that any site-specific intervention on the lake after 2016 must contend with Christo's legacy. The theme of Xhixha's works centers on humanity and environmental sustainability.