Stop time? Art makes it possible, as an exhibition in Rome demonstrates

A group exhibition titled "Per un attimo / Still life" has opened at Label 201 in Rome, curated by Melania Rossi. The show explores the concept of still life through contemporary interpretations, featuring works by José Angelino, Chiara Bettazzi, Krizia Galfo, Emiliano Maggi, Guglielmo Maggini, Beatrice Pediconi, Saverio Tonoli, and FLOVVERS. The exhibition includes photography, sculpture, installation, and painting, with pieces such as Chiara Bettazzi's documentation of found-object installations, Emiliano Maggi's hybrid sculpture "Arm (Every morning there was Endless Sleep preceding it)" (2020), and José Angelino's "Se-Mi" (2026), which uses a vacuum to preserve a dandelion in a glass bell jar.

The exhibition matters because it offers a fresh, contemporary take on the centuries-old still-life genre, using wordplay and conceptual depth to reflect on time, mortality, and the paradox of freezing a moment. By bringing together a diverse group of Italian artists working across media, the show demonstrates how traditional artistic themes can be reimagined in dialogue with current ecological and philosophical concerns, such as the commodification of nature and the tension between decay and renewal.