Torino Discards Enrica Borghi's Historic 'Palle di neve' Light Installation

Enrica Borghi's 'Palle di neve' (Snowballs), a public light installation comprising 150 large snowflakes made from recycled plastic and polystyrene, has been discarded by the city of Turin. Contrary to recent rumors, the disposal occurred in 2017 under the Appendino administration, not the current one. The decision was made on the advice of engineers from the municipal utility Iren, who deemed the works 'irrecoverable' due to deterioration from over 20 years of exposure, including breakage and smog infiltration. The installation was acquired in 1998 for the first edition of Luci d'Artista, a public light art event conceived by Fiorenzo Alfieri. It was last displayed in 2017 on Via Vanchiglia, the same street where it debuted. The city had contacted Borghi in 2017 to ask if she wanted to reclaim the work, but she declined due to the impracticality of storing a kilometer-long installation. She suggested keeping the least damaged spheres or samples for reproduction, but the disposal proceeded. The news resurfaced recently as new Luci d'Artista installations appeared post-pandemic, prompting public nostalgia. Borghi expressed regret, questioning whether the municipality can eliminate a public artwork and how to properly dispose of art. The only remaining pieces are samples of the three sizes.