Andrea Ferrero
I see you falling in my den
curated by Veronica Botta
Opening
Saturday, June 20, at 4:00 p.m.
Fontana del Castello, Via Norberto Rosa
Avigliana (TO)
"I think a lot about how the architectures of power influence the way we imagine and move through the world — an experience that begins to take shape already in play. In Avigliana, I was drawn to local legends and myths: I imagined the creatures that guard the ruins of the castle, suspended between menace and mischief."
Situated below the ruins of Avigliana's castle, a site that once overlooked and shaped the surrounding territory, a swing is inhabited by hybrid beings that are at once guardians and companions. Their paired bodies recall the nearby lakes and their forms draw on the visual language of grotesque imagery and mythical creatures, reflecting a landscape shaped as much by folklore as by history.
Too tall to be used, the swing departs from its usual function and becomes a device for imagination. Moved by the wind, the creatures gently sway above visitors, transforming a familiar element of play into something unexpected. Suspended between the reassuring and the unsettling, they seem to join the figures and ghosts that populate the castle’s legends.
Borrowing the language of play rather than that of the monument, the installation transforms a site historically associated with control and defence into a space of encounter and collective storytelling.
Thanks to: the Municipality of Avignana, Mayor Andrea Archinà, Sonia Carella, the Association Amici di Avigliana, Silvio Amprino, Ecovolontari Avigliana Group, Michele Petrera, Arnaldo Reviglio, Piero della Betta, Guido Castagna.
Andrea Ferrero (Lima, Peru, 1991) lives and works in Mexico City. She earned a degree in Sculpture from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and participated in the SOMA Academic Program (2019-2021) in Mexico City. Rooted in the subversion of power dynamics, her work transforms structures that once demanded reverence into stages of fragility and play.
Combining materials ranging from aluminum casting and ironwork to chocolate production, she creates immersive installations that often invite the audience to engage in intimate acts of irreverence, performative play, and edible banquets. She has presented solo exhibitions in Guadalajara, New York, Seoul, Lima, and Milan, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the Malta Biennale (MT, 2024) and Otrxs Mundxs at Museo Tamayo (Mexico City, MX, 2024).
Veronica Botta (Treviso, 1990) is a curator and producer working in the field of contemporary art. Her research focuses on site-specific projects and expanded exhibitions. She handled the curatorial coordination of the 2024 and 2025 editions of Panorama for ITALICS and, since 2023, has been Head of the Franco Mazzucchelli Archive. Previously, she served as Exhibition and Production Coordinator at MACRO – Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome and managed LAYR gallery in Rome. She has collaborated with numerous public and private institutions and has been a lecturer at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma and NABA. For Una Boccata d’Arte 2025, she curated the project by Bibi Manavi in Piedmont.
Located in a natural morainic amphitheater, Avigliana is a medieval village in the Lower Susa Valley at the foot of Mount Pirchiriano, where the famous religious complex of the Sacra di San Michele stands. The castle, built at the beginning of the 10th century and reduced to ruins in 1691, towers above the town, offering a unique viewpoint over the peak of Mount Rocciamelone.
Avigliana is renowned for its two lakes, Lago Piccolo and Lago Grande, two bodies of water set within a vast green area. The Natural Park that encompasses them features a diverse ecosystem: rolling hills, the marshy Mareschi area, and the two lakes. Three distinct yet interconnected habitats make this environment an essential stop for many species of migratory birds.