Spazio C.O.S.M.O.: Milan's Artist-Run Space Celebrates a Decade in an Attic

In Milan, artists Luca Pancrazzi and Elena El Asmar founded Spazio C.O.S.M.O. (Come Ogni Semplice Movimento Ortogonale) nearly ten years ago in the attic of their studio. The space was born after a visit from artists Francesco Carone and Eugenia Vanni, who helped clean the abandoned attic, which was filled with old magazines left by Marco Cingolani. Carone's 2015 exhibition "TITOLO l’edito inedito, cap. III: La stiva" was the inaugural show, inspired by the roof's resemblance to an overturned boat's keel. Since then, the space has hosted annual site-specific projects by artists including Ermanno Cristini (2016), Marta Dell’Angelo (2017), Loredana Longo (2018), and others. The current exhibition features Gianni Caravaggio, running until June 9, 2024. The space is known for its challenging conditions: a single skylight creates theatrical, shifting light, and there are no vertical walls, forcing artists to create installations that engage directly with the architecture. Visitors must climb a steep ladder, and the space is open by appointment only. Spazio C.O.S.M.O. is a continuation of Madeinfilandia, a residency project founded in 2010 in the Tuscan countryside that involved over 100 artists until 2018. Future artists include Fabrizio Prevedello, Eugenia Vanni, Giancarlo Norese, Elena Nemkova, and Luca Monterastelli.