80 artworks by Stefano Arienti dialogue with the masterpieces of Villa Croce in Genoa, Italy

Curated by Anna Daneri and Francesca Serrati, “Finestre Meridiane: Intersezioni con la collezione di Villa Croce” takes the form of a dialogue between Stefano Arienti’s Meridiane (Sundials), a series of drawings initiated in 2012 and exhibited here for the first time, and a selection of the permanent collection of Villa Croce Contemporary Art Museum in Genoa, which boasts masterpieces by Fontana, Licini, and Munari amongst others.

As the name suggests, the sun and its movement through the sky play a central role in this exhibition: Mantua-born artist Stefano Arienti produced these drawings using the light that comes through the window at his home or studio, applying a technique that he perfected over years of practice. Also, the theme of this exhibition works very well within the premises of Villa Croce with its big south-facing windows and plenty of sunlight.

Arienti’s interest for public collections is not something new: in 2010 he was invited together with artist Massimo Bartolini to step in as a curator and use Museion’s collection as their own laboratory of ideas; also, last year he put on a solo exhibition using pieces of art that were hidden away in the storage vaults of Palazzo Te in Mantua, Italy. At Villa Croce, Arienti creates one big installation where his artwork is intertwined with the museum’s collection: the pieces of art are arranged with great freedom, intentionally avoiding a chronological display and without meeting the usual museum criteria, but rather focusing on the rhythm of attention and thus inviting visitors to enjoy the exhibition in a new, creative way