Robert Montgomery's Light Poem Illuminates BASE Milano

Scottish artist Robert Montgomery (born 1972 in Chapelhall) has installed a light poem titled "The Future Is a Risk of Our Hearts" at the entrance of BASE Milano. The work reads "The future is an invisible playground" and was created for the winter solstice of 2020, one of the darkest periods of modern history. Montgomery discusses his practice in an interview, emphasizing poetry as an antidote to the materialistic languages of advertising, media, and the internet. He describes his process as studying his own broken heart and finding salvation in love. His fire poems began in 2013 with a commission from the Edinburgh Art Festival, where he placed a burning poem opposite the Church of Scotland and under the statue of John Knox, referencing pre-Reformation pagan fire festivals. Montgomery cites The Cure as a major influence and views his public art as anonymous love letters to strangers. The BASE Milano installation is his current favorite, praising curator Linda di Pietro for perfect placement and timing.