Pietro Fortuna's Philosophical Exhibition in Rome Questions Reality and Language

Pietro Fortuna (Padua, 1950) presents a solo exhibition in Rome titled 'Se una mela pesa così, quanto pesano due mele?' (If an apple weighs this much, how much do two apples weigh?), challenging the concepts of language and reality. The show features an installation of green PVC apples, which the artist argues are as real as organic apples because they occupy physical space. Fortuna's Parmenidean approach equates art with reality, asserting that presence matters over essence. The exhibition includes works from the last five years, such as the composite photograph 'Rue Van Schoor' (2022) and five pairs of 'twin drawings' created simultaneously with both hands. The final room presents the apple installation alongside abstract works that paradoxically represent the only real aspect. Fortuna's collage 'Senza Titolo' (2019) uses four different words to express the same concept, highlighting language's distance from reality. The exhibition also engages with contemporary issues of AI-generated fake images, urging viewers to sharpen critical thinking through art. The show is curated by Ludovica Palmieri and runs at an unspecified venue in Rome.