Marinella Senatore

Up to 5 February 2023, six light sculptures by Marinella Senatore are on display in the grand settings of the Reggia, in the Anticamera dei Valletti a piedi room.
The light theme is a fundamental component in Senatore's practice: indeed one of the languages the artist has put first. Light, electric and optical, material and metaphorical, becomes a means for narrating and creating poetry, which also applies to resistance and cohesion. . As the artist explains, «light sculptures generate energy, which, in the form of luminous beams, propagates through space, changing it and altering its structures, as well as the individuals populating it». 

The works bring back Baroque architectural shapes, yet they call for contemplation and action with quotations about the sense of identity of individuals and of the community, like the most famous “Dance First Think Later”, by Samuel Beckett, or “We Rise by Lifting Others”, traced with mercury-free neon lights in the artist's drawing style and handwriting.

Assembly, the acclaimed light sculpture by Marinella Senatore, has arrived at Venaria Reale with the support of PAC 2021, the Contemporary Art Scheme by the Directorate-General for Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, thanks to which the Consorzio delle Residenze Reali Sabaude (Consortium of the Royal Residences of the House of Savoy) has acquired it.
The artwork went iconic in London in 2022 with Afterglow, the multi-site exhibition promoted by the Mazzoleni Gallery. 

With the collaboration of Città di Venaria Reale, as part of the exhibition Marinella Senatore, the same piece of art has been exhibited from 4 November 2022 to 8 January 2023 in piazza dell’Annunziata square in Venaria Reale, the hub of the monumental historical centre, lively heart of the local community. 

Assembly draws inspiration from the traditional architectural light structures, used in outdoor public events in South Italy from the 15th century on, which Marinella Senatore turns into “relational spaces” by including quotations linked to empowerment and emancipation. It brings back the Baroque extravaganzas whose ephemeral setups altered the features of the Royal Residences and of the cities seat of a royal court: today, the celebration of the transformative power of art and sharing, also according to the themes of the concurrent 29th edition of Turin's Artissima Transformative Experience.

Commissioned by Guido Curto, director of the Consorzio and scientific representative for the project, thanks to the collaboration with the Mazzoleni Gallery.