Marco Cassani's fountain 'Ti Amo' at Fondazione Pistoletto invites wishes

Artist Marco Cassani has installed a fountain-sculpture titled 'Ti Amo' in the courtyard of Fondazione Pistoletto in Biella, Italy, on the site of a former wool mill. The fountain features water flowing from the mouth of a frog made from recycled Balinese votive coins, mounted on a pedestal that changes with each location. Cassani, a Milanese artist now based in Bali, collected water from the nearby Cervo stream for the piece. The work functions as a 'device to connect people and gather energies,' according to the artist. Residents of Biella are invited to visit the fountain until the end of 2023, tossing a coin (either their own or old lira coins provided by Cassani) while making a wish related to the past they wish to shed. Wishes can also be written and deposited in a container. At the installation's conclusion, Cassani will use the coins and wishes to create a new artwork that 'collects the past to create the future.' A video about the project was made by Alessandra Galletta.