Mutual Aid: Castello di Rivoli explores art-nature collaboration

The exhibition 'Mutual Aid. Arte in collaborazione con la natura' opened at Castello di Rivoli during Turin Art Week, curated by Francesco Manacorda and Marianna Vecellio. It draws inspiration from Russian philosopher and naturalist Pëtr Kropotkin's essay 'Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution', which argues that cooperation, not competition, drives species survival—contrasting with Charles Darwin's natural selection. The show, housed in the challenging Manica Lunga corridor, features works by Giuseppe Penone (tree cycles), Agnes Denes (1970s wheat field in Manhattan and a hill of 10,000 adopted plants), Thomas Saraceno (spider web installations), Caretto/Spagna (lithographic reinterpretation of stones), Maria Thereza Alves (nests for insects and small fauna in Olivola, Piedmont), Hubert Duprat (caddisfly larvae creating jewel-like cases), and Nicolas Mangan (video on Australian coral reef bleaching). Michel Blazy contributes a snail trail on canvas. Lois Weinberger, known for his 'garden as artwork' concept at documenta X, is also featured. The exhibition questions anthropocentrism and explores interdependence between humans and non-humans, echoing anthropologist Tim Ingold's relational flow between species.