Petra Feriancová's 'Fabulae' at Villa d'Este and Santuario di Ercole Vincitore

Slovak artist Petra Feriancová (Bratislava, 1977) presents 'Fabulae', a solo exhibition unfolding as an initiatory walk between Villa d'Este and the Santuario di Ercole Vincitore in Tivoli. Curated by Andrea Bruciati, director of the Villae, the show is supported by the Slovak Arts Council, Gilda Lavia gallery, and ArtVerona. The exhibition explores themes of memory, nature, and ruins through a series of interventions. At Villa d'Este, visitors receive an (Anti) Guide designed by the artist and graphic designer Palo Bàlik, introducing the hidden aquatic life of the gardens. The first work is an aquarium containing Apteronotus Albifrons (knifefish). At the Santuario, built over the 19th-century Cartiere Tiburtine paper mills (closed in the 1960s), Feriancová installs marble plaques with texts on motherhood and procreation, a sound installation featuring her daughter's voice, and three large installations: 'Paesaggio Solare' (with Leonardo-inspired flying machines), 'Paesaggio Marino' (with whale songs), and 'Paesaggio Lunare' (a clay floor on plastic sheeting). The path ends with 'Osservatorio', a ground sculpture highlighting a natural ecosystem. Feriancová describes the show as her most articulated and epic to date.