Performance and Exhibition in a Deconsecrated Church in Piacenza

In Piacenza, the deconsecrated church of Volumnia, a project by gallerist Enrica De Micheli, hosts the exhibition '1000 Breath Paintings' by artists Carlo Brandelli and Ewa Wilczynski. The exhibition features a performance on November 13, 2021, where Wilczynski walks on black heels in a red robe, lights a candle, and paints a luminous vertical stroke using 24-karat gold paint. The works—'1 Breath Painting', '100 Breaths Painting', and '1000 Breaths Painting'—consist of layers of brushstrokes corresponding to breaths, with the thousand-stroke piece becoming a small sculpture. The artists, who worked for over a year on themes of connection and balance, aim to make the invisible visible, referencing breath as a life symbol. During the pandemic, they projected a breath-focused performance on screens across London. Volumnia, housed in an 18th-century facade with a Renaissance interior, was obtained by De Micheli through a public tender four years ago. The space includes design pieces, a planned library of her personal art and design collection, and upcoming civic events and a restaurant in the adjacent former carpentry.