Laura Cionci’s Secret Gardens of Volterra Unveiled in Interactive Exhibition
Laura Cionci (Rome, 1980) presents 'Il Giardino segreto' at Palazzo dei Priori in Volterra, a project born from a reinterpretation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel. During a residency, Cionci interviewed owners and custodians of private gardens hidden within Volterra's historic walls, uncovering untold stories of adaptation between local culture and nature. The research resulted in a video, a topographical map of 19 secret gardens delivered to the municipality, and an interactive installation where visitors use stamps of four local plant species to compose a collective abstract garden on white panels. The plant drawings, inspired by the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, are also displayed. A sound installation in a darkened room features Cionci's voice narrating an imaginary garden walk, inviting visitors to lie on a square mattress and engage their senses. The exhibition opened in 2018 at Palazzo dei Priori, Volterra.
Key facts
- Laura Cionci is a Roman artist born in 1980.
- The project reinterprets Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'The Secret Garden'.
- Cionci conducted a residency in Volterra, interviewing private garden owners.
- 19 secret gardens were mapped and represented on a topographical map given to the Comune di Volterra.
- Four local plant species were identified and turned into stamps for visitor interaction.
- Plant drawings are inspired by the Voynich Manuscript, an undeciphered 15th-century codex.
- A sound installation features Cionci's voice describing an imaginary garden.
- The exhibition took place at Palazzo dei Priori, Volterra, in 2018.
Entities
Artists
- Laura Cionci
Institutions
- Palazzo dei Priori
- Comune di Volterra
- Artribune
Locations
- Volterra
- Italy
- Rome
- Tuscany