Installation view of Art & Nature: Inside Out at Villa Arconati, featuring work by Cristóbal Gracia (Lucciola, Quel Ramo del Lago di Como, and Giancarlo) During the high-powered intensity of Milan Design Week, a journey just 20 minutes outside of the bustling Italian city into the countryside of Lombardy offered an unexpected and inspiring respite. Here, within a verdant green landscape on the cusp of Spring and a 16th-century, baroque villa built for the Arconati family as a "villa di delizie" or "pleasure villa" in which to house their art collection, contemporary artworks and design objects entered a seamless and effortless dialogue under the hands of curator Diana Segantini in the exhibition Art & Nature: Inside Out.
Gently heightened by the ornate quality of the villa's architecture and the beauty of the outdoor countryside, these contemporary creations, by 40 international artists, appeared to find a new home that could elevate their artistry—a reminder of the power of artistic invention when placed in a natural abode. This idea is reflective of the Arco movement, a cultural project and exhibition series spurred by Segantini's eponymous cultural agency Segantini Unlimited, focusing on the connection between art, nature and historical sites through a dialogue fostered between past and present art.
"You have this vision not only within the exhibition but a long-term vision for this villa to bring it back to life," explains Segantini. "We wanted to create an 'arch' or 'arco' [in Italian] between the historical substance of the villa, its architecture and design, with contemporary art."
A large abstract sculpture by Mattia Bosco greets visitors on the grass before they enter the villa. Its gently curved form prompts guests that something unique awaits them inside.
The baroque rooms of the 16th century villa are renewed with new energy as diverse contemporary artworks in variety of media percolate the halls and rooms of the structure. These include works by artists Nedko Solakov, Melanie Sterba, Una Szeemann, Federico Tosi and Luca Vitone, among others.
In one room an abstract painting with darkened earthy hues titled Cypress Swamp (2016) by Francesca Simeti is juxtaposed with a slender long bronze sculpture called Tongue (2022) by Not Vital placed in the next room exactly in the middle of a window sill visible from the doorway of the preceding room as if to beckon visitors to continue their journey of the villa and its mix of carefully curated artworks.
In another room, with its poignant Lombard Baroque style and intricate stucco patterns on the walls and ceiling framing expressive 16th-century hunting scenes by Angelo Maria Crivelli, are two intricate sculptures that also reference the theme of hunting. One of these, Angela Lynn's Hunt of the Day (2023), presents a small bronze sculpture of a baby on a wooden pedestal with a metal sphere running through it. Beneath the two wooden blocks supporting the baby hangs what appears to be a glass water bottle, evoking a hunter’s need to quench their thirst after a productive day.
At the other end of the room is another intricate untitled sculpture in aluminum by Nicola Ghirardelli, evoking the shape of a plant or floral form. Both works, through their delicate and unassuming shapes, complement the grandeur of the room without seeking to compete with its already elaborate décor. The avant-garde forms and subject matter of both works mirror the room's fading Baroque design.
Elsewhere, gently positioned side by side in one of many corridors are two large charcoal drawings referencing ancient sculptures by Miroslaw Balka titled Afrodyta Knidos (2021) and Niobe – 14 (2018), respectfully. They are positioned under the rooms painted colonnade of arches under which is a series of neoclassical female busts.
In other rooms the vibrant works of Kimsooja pulsate with life and color while several subtle Arte Povera works by the late Greek Italian artist Jannis Kounellis can be found juxtaposed with a 2022 abstract geometric acrylic on canvas painting by Joseph La Piana.
Another key Arte Povera artist Giuseppe Penone also has a work titled Terra d'Ombra or "Dry earth" as translated from Italian displayed next to a classical fresco on the room's wall, one of approximately two in the villa, again striking a conversation between contemporary present and centuries past.
At the Villa Arconati every space offers a new aesthetic discovery, pulsating the villa's rooms with a newfound creative impetus. Refreshingly, the curation of Segantini offers aesthetic and intellectual dialogue not just between the artworks displayed but with the baroque art and architecture found in each room.
The journey continues outdoors where Bruno Esposito's Aquarell, a sculpture of bench made of a mirror is positioned on a floating wooden barge.
The work is a reminder to pause and be one with nature, notes Segantini. "I wanted to emphasize the five elements and natural elements in the show. There's an explosion of color and light. It’s a voyage through contemporary art and living artists and a voyage through art history."
The exhibition Art & Nature: Inside Out was on view at Villa Arconati until October 12th, 2025.
