The first point of reference useful for approaching Diego Perrone’s work in Costozza is the apt definition given to this area by someone who experiences it every day: a closed treasure chest. Precise words that indicate the presence of unique but often inaccessible riches. The opening of a space in the village was therefore the first step in creating a relationship with the territory, followed by a detailed study of its remarkable geological origins. In fact, Costozza’s history is linked to the Berici Hills and to Pietra di Vicenza (Vicenza Stone), which since ancient times has been renowned for its unique characteristics of workability and strength. Strata of this stone hundreds of metres thick were formed by the crushing and accumulation of sand, shells, crustaceans and organic residues. The presence of a warm, oxygenated sea initiated this process, while the collapse of an ancient coral reef, the emersion of the seabed and the subsequent retreat of the waters completed it. Il frullamento del mare di latte (The mixing of the sea of milk) is an environmental installation in the small church of San Michele, whose origins can also be found in the ancient statute of Costozza and which predates the construction of Villa Trento Carli, of which it is now a part. The works and the selection of books that make up the installation are intended to immerse the viewer in the process that over thirty million years ago led to the creation of the village’s terrain. The foam, apparently shapeless but whose bubbles are generated by precise mathematical algorithms, becomes the symbol of a living transformation, made of organic elements: a crystallisation in which time loses its meaning and whose elements are destined to dissolve. At the same time, the foam represents a layer of vision through which something else can be glimpsed; just as in the ancient Hindu legend of Samudramanthana, from which the title is taken, the stirring of the original waters has succeeded in bringing ancient treasures to the surface.

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Exhibited works:
Diego Perrone, Il frullamento del mare di latte, 2023. Chalcographic print on plaster, selection of books, variable dimension.
Chiesa di San Michele, via Bartolomeo Bizio, 22, 36023 Longare (VI)

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Diego Perrone (Asti, 1970)lives and works in Milan.He’s a visual artist working mostly with sculpture and drawing, creating mental landscapes that are neither real nor imaginary. His solo exhibitions have been presented in institutions such as MACRO, Rome (2022-23); Museo Nazionale Romano - Palazzo Massimo, Rome; Bullseye Projects, Portland (2019); Villa del Principe, Genoa; Spazio Murat, Bari (2017); Museion, Bolzano (2013); Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania (2010); CAPC, Bordeaux; MAMbo, Bologna (2007); Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin (2005); Pitti Immagine Discovery, Florence (2000). His works have been included in major group exhibitions at: GAM, Turin; Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, Switzerland; Villa Medici, Rome; Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome; Triennale, Milan; Castello di Rivoli, Turin; Magasin, Grenoble; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Palazzo Grassi, Venice; Malmö Art Museum, Malmö; PAC, Murcia; Whitechapel Gallery, London; New Museum, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions such as La Biennale di Venezia, (2013 and 2003); Berlin Biennial for Contemporary Art (2006); Moscow Biennale (2005); Triennale India, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (2005); Manifesta 3, Ljubliana (2000).