Roberto Fassone's 'Graziosi abissi' at Fondazione smART in Rome evolves over time

At Fondazione smART in Rome, Roberto Fassone's exhibition 'Graziosi abissi' transforms over its duration while remaining conceptually consistent. The show, curated by Saverio Verini, is structured in movements: initially presented orthodoxy, works later wore wool blankets during winter, then shed them and shifted position slightly as spring approached. Fassone's practice explores time, coincidence, destiny, numerology, and the thin line between reality and dreams. Works include 'Dove cadono le pareti (Uri)', a bell on a nightstand that visitors can ring, supposedly stopping a clock somewhere; the video 'Piccola catena' depicting a person imagining being a draft of air; and 'Un grammo', empty cardboard boxes labeled with contents, referencing Schrödinger's cat paradox. Mattia Pajè contributed stickers of a finger crossing a palm placed on door thresholds. A photograph by Riccardo Banfi shows Fassone in Piazza Duomo, Milan, asking a passerby if he is in a dream. Fassone changes the titles of his works every March 21 and has written a guide for titling artworks and bars. The exhibition is a collective effort coordinated by the artist, who previously collaborated with the foundation in 2016 for a children's workshop and during lockdown made available online 'Sibi jr', a game with instructions to produce an artwork.