The Poet of Light. Interview with Lighting Designer Davide Groppi

Il poeta della luce. Intervista al lighting designer Davide Groppi

Lighting designer Davide Groppi (born 1963 in Piacenza) is the subject of a rare retrospective exhibition titled "Un'ora di luce" (An Hour of Light), on view until May 26 at the Volumnia gallery in Piacenza, curated by Marco Sammicheli. The show, held in a deconsecrated late-16th-century church, traces Groppi's nearly 40-year career through products, prototypes, and personal artistic research, including his iconic lamp "Nulla" (2010), which won the first of his three Compasso d'Oro awards. In an interview, Groppi discusses the exhibition's themes of lightness, cosmic references, and his philosophy of subtraction in design.

Quietly in Milan, a collector has opened a new exhibition space: "Finally I can see my works"

In sordina a Milano un collezionista ha aperto un nuovo spazio espositivo: “Finalmente posso vedere le mie opere”

Collector Pier Luigi Guzzetti has quietly opened Gallerie Guzzetti, a new 300-square-meter private exhibition space in Milan's Cenisio/Mac Mahon district. The minimalist basement venue serves as a dedicated home for Guzzetti’s eclectic collection of over 300 works, which spans 20th-century masters, emerging artists, and a significant photography archive. Managed alongside Corinne Cortinovis, the space operates with a philosophy of discretion, favoring word-of-mouth over traditional press offices or social media presence.

carolyn bessette kennedy fashion auctioneer wardrobe sale 2746342

Signature items from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's personal wardrobe are being sold at auction by the Fashion Auctioneer. The sale includes four key pieces gifted to her friend Rosemarie Terenzio, such as three cherished Prada coats and a Yohji Yamamoto dress, with estimates reaching up to $30,000. The auction is supplemented by dozens of vintage items from a private collector, some of which were used as wardrobe for the new FX television series 'Love Story,' which dramatizes the couple's relationship.

the beatles white album art installation lands in liverpool 79072

New York artist Rutherford Chang has brought his installation of over 1,000 copies of The Beatles' 'White Album' to FACT in Liverpool, the band's hometown. The piece, which took eight years to assemble, features copies of the album with handwritten notes, drawings, and other traces left by previous owners, and is on view for the first time in the UK. The exhibition, titled 'We Buy White Albums,' also invites the public to sell their copies to the artist.

Phillip Lai at Spike Island

The contemporary art space Spike Island in Bristol is hosting a solo exhibition by artist Phillip Lai titled "Rain / Ruin." Running from January 30 to May 10, 2026, the exhibition features a series of sculptural installations and works that engage with the architectural environment of the gallery. The presentation is documented through a comprehensive suite of installation photography by Rob Harris, capturing the spatial relationship between Lai's objects and the industrial character of the venue.

Romero Paprocki at miart

Paris-based gallery Romero Paprocki is expanding its presence in the Italian art market with a multidisciplinary presentation at miart 2026. Following the opening of a second gallery space in Milan, the booth features a curated dialogue between four artists—Antoine Carbonne, Louis Jacquot, Winnie Mo Rielly, and Matisse Mesnil—spanning figurative painting, minimal works, and sculptural photography.

These Toronto laundromats are putting a new spin on the art gallery scene

Emerging artists in Toronto are turning to unconventional venues like Dirty Laundry and She Said Gallery to bypass the city's high-barrier commercial art scene. These functioning laundromats operate as professional gallery spaces with exhibition schedules and opening receptions, allowing artists to host solo shows for minimal fees and zero commission on sales.

Laundromats putting new spin on art gallery scene

Two laundromats in Toronto, Dirty Laundry and She Said Gallery, have been operating as dual-purpose art galleries for the past six years. They offer emerging artists affordable, accessible exhibition space with minimal fees and no sales commission, featuring monthly and weekly shows that are booked years in advance.

Santa Monica Art: Husband-Wife Duo Shows at Bruce Lurie

The Bruce Lurie Gallery in Santa Monica is set to host "Observed / Imagined," a joint exhibition featuring the work of husband-and-wife duo Gary and Jody Levinson. Opening April 18, 2026, the show juxtaposes Gary’s minimalist, award-winning street photography with Jody’s intuitive abstract paintings. While Gary’s work focuses on the patient observation of solitary figures in sparse environments, Jody’s practice explores internal narratives of gender and power through a physical, multi-media approach.

An exhibition at a historic villa in Prato brings together the artificial and the natural

In una villa storica a Prato una mostra che fa incontrare artificiale e naturale

Artist Andrea Marini presents "Anomale Intrusioni" (Anomalous Intrusions) at the historic Villa Rospigliosi in Prato, an exhibition organized by Associazione Chorasis. Curated by Riccardo Farinelli, the show features sculptural interventions that blend conceptual minimalism with the villa's centuries-old architecture and natural landscape. Marini’s works function as "programmed interferences," creating a dialogue between the organic and the artificial through metallic structures and zoomorphic forms that react to the surrounding environment and climate.

Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger’s Expansive Paintings

Chicago artist Laura Berger presents a new suite of monumental paintings exploring themes of communion and interdependence. Her signature minimal, nude figures are depicted merging with natural elements like waves, flowers, and clouds, rendered in varying states of translucence to symbolize a deep connection with the earth and each other.

Marvel at Manabu Kosaka’s Hyperrealistic Paper Sculptures of Retro Objects

Japanese artist Manabu Kosaka creates hyperrealistic, scale replicas of everyday and retro objects using only paper. His meticulously crafted sculptures—ranging from 35mm film cameras and vintage transistor radios to luxury wristwatches and fast food—feature functional internal components like gears, levers, and moving hatches that mimic the mechanics of the original items.

Kazuko Miyamoto @ Take Ninagawa

宮本和子 @ Take Ninagawa

Kazuko Miyamoto is the subject of a comprehensive solo exhibition at Take Ninagawa in Tokyo, running from February 14 to April 11, 2026. The showcase features a diverse array of the artist's signature string constructions, maquettes, and drawings, spanning several decades of her career from the early 1970s through the late 2000s. Key works on display include her intricate string maquettes from 1973 and large-scale geometric explorations like "Study of Lines in Ring #3" and "Mariana."

Top 6 arts events this week in the Sarasota area, April 19-25

The Sarasota area is set to host a diverse array of cultural programming from April 19-25, highlighted by two major exhibition openings at the Sarasota Art Museum. These include a solo presentation and a group show featuring prominent figures in modern art, alongside a series of high-profile musical performances by the Sarasota Orchestra, ensembleNewSRQ, and the Venice Symphony.

SMC’s Museum of Art opens new exhibit featuring three Bay Area artists

The Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art has launched a new exhibition season featuring three distinct Bay Area artists: Hilda Robinson, Zach Clark, and Beth Van Hoesen. The showcase includes a retrospective of Robinson’s vibrant oil pastels documenting Black communal joy, a collaborative landscape project by Clark involving student research, and a survey of Van Hoesen’s minimalist line work and intaglio prints.

White stuff: capturing a land without colour – in pictures

Photographer Elizabeth Sanjuan has released a new book titled 'Silent Snow,' featuring 40 monochrome images captured over four winters in Hokkaido, Japan. The work focuses on the island's snow-covered landscape, which remains white for half the year, and explores the visual and emotional qualities of this extreme environment.

At Milan Design Week, Creative Seating Brings Fresh Ideas to the Table

Milan Design Week has unveiled a series of innovative seating concepts that challenge traditional forms of furniture. Highlighting the intersection of sculpture and utility, the showcase features standout pieces including a crisp, minimalist couch, a monolithic chair, and a playful pouf, all of which demonstrate how contemporary designers are rethinking the ergonomics and aesthetics of reclining.

In Shaker Design, a Zeal for No Zeal

The New York Times explores the enduring influence of Shaker design on contemporary artists and designers, highlighting how its principles of simplicity, utility, and spiritual integrity resonate in today's world. The article features creators like furniture maker Thomas Moser and ceramicist Mary Law, who draw directly from Shaker aesthetics of plainness, proportion, and honest craftsmanship.

6 Exhibitions to See During EXPO Chicago 2026

The art world is witnessing a significant shift toward 'one-work exhibitions,' where entire gallery or museum spaces are dedicated to a single object. This curatorial trend, often referred to as 'slow looking,' prioritizes deep engagement and spatial experience over the traditional model of high-volume, rapid-fire viewing. By isolating a single masterpiece or installation, institutions are challenging the 'speed and glut' that defines modern digital and visual consumption.

The Opened “White Box” Art Museum, OCAT-B10 / MENG YAN | URBANUS

ArchDaily published a project profile of the OCAT-B10 art museum in Shenzhen, China, designed by Meng Yan of URBANUS. Completed in 2022, the 6,109-square-meter museum is conceived as an "opened white box," featuring a flexible, minimalist gallery space. The project team includes principle architect Meng Yan, project architect Rao Enchen, and numerous collaborators across architecture and landscape design. The client is Shenzhen OCT Properties Co., Ltd.

Mario Rodriguez

Mario Rodriguez, the co-founder of the influential New York gallery Lisson Gallery and a respected figure in the contemporary art scene, has passed away. Rodriguez was instrumental in bridging the gap between European and American minimalism and conceptualism, helping to establish a global platform for artists who challenged traditional aesthetic boundaries.

Daegu Kansong Art Museum Opens Exhibition on Chusa Kim Jeong-hui's Painting Legacy

The Daegu Kansong Art Museum has launched a special exhibition titled "Chusa's Painting Lessons" to mark the 240th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jeong-hui, the legendary Joseon Dynasty scholar and artist. While most retrospectives of Kim's work focus on his revolutionary calligraphy and academic scholarship, this showcase specifically highlights his paintings and his pedagogical influence on his students. A centerpiece of the exhibition is the "Yerim Gapeulrok," a document that illustrates the artistic exchanges and critiques shared between the master and his disciples.

Art exhibit shines light on Black voices, 100 years of Black History Month

An art exhibition titled "Reclaiming the Canvas: 100 Years of Black History Month" was held at the Zhou B Arts Center near 18th and Vine in Kansas City, curated by Roi Wall. The show featured Black artists including Daisha Maria Breona, Xavier Gayden, Feliz Kehinde, and Aisha Imani Sanaa, who presented works exploring themes of identity, heritage, resilience, and joy, with minimal creative constraints.

Andrew Christopher Green at Can

The exhibition "Nachsommer" by artist Andrew Christopher Green is currently on view at Can in Vienna. Running from March 6 through April 16, 2026, the presentation features a series of new works, including untitled pieces from 2026, and is documented through a selection of images and video available via the Contemporary Art Library.

Ben Zank’s Portraits Teeter Between Surrealism and the Mundane

New York-based photographer Ben Zank's work, characterized by faceless subjects in ordinary settings evoking uncanny emotions, was featured in an outdoor installation at the Festival Cargo Les Photographiques in Saint-Nazaire, France. His large-scale reproductions were affixed to wooden pallets and brick walls, blending minimalist, earth-toned portraits with the festival's sparse grounds.

Breezy Swathes of Fabric Dance Amid Landscapes in Thomas Jackson’s Photos

Photographer Thomas Jackson creates striking images featuring multi-colored fabric installations billowing in natural landscapes. His work, which appears digitally manipulated but is captured in-camera with minimal post-production, explores the tension between nature and artificiality.

Bat-Ami Rivlin “Untitled (radiators, zip ties)” at Management, New York

Artist Bat-Ami Rivlin has opened a new site-specific installation titled 'Untitled (radiators, zip ties)' at Management gallery in New York. The work features an assembly of locally sourced radiators bound by zip ties, presented in a sparse arrangement that transforms the gallery space.

In Memory of Éliane Radigue (1932–2026)

Éliane Radigue, the pioneering French composer of electronic and electroacoustic music, has died at age 94. A key figure in the development of minimalist and drone music, she was known for her deeply focused, slowly evolving soundscapes created primarily on analog synthesizers like the Buchla 100 and ARP.

In a Piacenza church, the light of designer Davide Groppi becomes a whisper suspended in time

In una chiesa di Piacenza la luce del designer Davide Groppi diventa un sussurro sospeso nel tempo

Renowned lighting designer Davide Groppi has unveiled a major anthological exhibition titled "Un’ora di luce" (An Hour of Light) at Volumnia, a gallery housed within the deconsecrated Church of Sant’Agostino in Piacenza. Curated by Marco Sammicheli, the retrospective spans forty years of Groppi’s career, featuring iconic works like Sampei and Moon alongside new site-specific debuts. The exhibition is structured in two parts: a series of enclosed "utopias" that create intimate light environments, followed by a dialogue between his minimalist fixtures and the soaring, historic architecture of the church.

Can Video Art Rewire South Korea’s Global Image?

The rise of the 'one-work exhibition' is transforming the traditional museum experience by focusing an entire show on a single object. These minimalist presentations prioritize 'slow looking' and spatial immersion, forcing viewers to engage deeply with a lone masterpiece rather than scanning through a crowded gallery of multiple works.