Operators in the world of art, culture experts and Italian artists meet together to reflect and discuss the theme of Light Art in the church of San Carpoforo in Brera District, Milan. The event Light Art Ensemble -curated by Gisella Gellini and Domenico Nicolamarino- is also a tribute to the artist Marinella Pirelli that throughout her life experienced many forms of art, from painting to cinema, focusing in particular the phenomenon of light and its perception (December 12th,13th, 14th, 2014).

Three days, three moments, three occasions, a unique event in order to deeply investigate on the theme of Light Art through the testimonies of those who study the phenomenon and use its tools and its expressive languages. “Light Art” defines an artistic movement, an idea, a project that interacts with the architecture, the city and the natural environment to create a new visual and perceptual experience through new methods of using indoor and outdoor spaces transmitting cultural messages.
Domenico Nicolamarino – Lighting Design Teacher at the Brera Academy – and Gisella Gellini – who holds a Light Art and Light Design course at the Milan’s Polytechnic’ School of Design – will present this conference-exhibition-happening on the Light theme introducing artists as Nino Alfieri, Carlo Bernardini, Marco Brianza, Paolo Calafiore, Giulio De Mitri, Nicola Evangelisti, Maria Cristiana Fioretti, Pietro Pirelli, Sebastiano Romano, Donatella Schilirò and Paolo Scirpa.
In Contemporary Art, the Light Art phenomenon was born in the second half of the XX century and it’s developed from the work of two artists: Dan Flavin and James Turrell.
The latter artist, in particular, makes huge fields of colored light produced by an opening shallow on a wall behind which it is placed an oblique plane illuminated in a brilliant way. Turrell’s work is presented as an immersive installation for the viewing: an afterimage and ghost form.
The perception of space-environment is the main characteristic of this kind of Art, that uses “light” like the favorite medium to communicate an inner state of mind or design a place to engaging directly the public. Recently it has spread the phenomenon of Light Art also in the field of Design and Architecture becoming a design language in the definition of volumes, space, shapes, colors of objects, buildings, monuments and interiors. Light is a visual, physical, psychological, symbolic and perceptual factor tied to the feelings and the moods of each of us. It’s therefore an element of identity that helps artists, designers and architects during the creation of a project and in its representation. The fields of application of “light” vary so much that during the event “Light Art Ensemble” will be possible to have a walk in the Brera district through the works of some invited artists.
Furthermore an artistic happening will take place thanks to the performance of Pietro Pirelli “Playing the water, playing the light“ at 18.00 on Saturday – December 13th, and the performance “Live the Light” by Michele Mastroianni, on Sunday – December 14th, that will close the event.
The opening of the event (Friday, December 12th – from 10 am to 7 pm) by Franco Marocco – Director of the Brera Academy-, will follow the greetings of Sandrina Bandera – Supervisor and Director of the Pinacoteca di Brera – and Arturo Dell’Acqua Bellavitis – Dean of the Milan’s Polytechnic School of Design -. At the entrance of the former Church of San Carpoforo, a video made by Dominico Nicolamarino will introduce the event and the exhibition through the pictures of the artists, while Gisella Gellini will talk about the world of Light Art giving a personal testimony, with the co-operation of Clara Lovisetti, a journalist that is working with Gisella Gellini at the books “Light Art in Italy”.
The day on Friday will continue with a series of interventions that will address issues and elements characteristic of the light and its vision: “Light materiality and immateriality” by Giulio De Mitri – Teacher at the Catanzaro Fine Arts Academy; “Light’s Aesthetics” by Roberto Lacarbonara; “The experience of ICASTICA” intervention of Culture and Entertainment Activities Councillor of Arezzo – Pasquale Giuseppe Macrì; “Arezzo in light” by Fabio Migliorati – Artistic Director of ICASTICA; Gisella Gironi’s in-depth presentation of the artistic path of Marinella Pirelli through some of her “Meteors“; “Light as material of the form” curated by Massimo Bignardi – Director of the Postgraduate School in Artistic and Historical Assets of the Siena University- ; a series of meetings with the artists led by Carlo Bernardini and Paolo Scirpa. The day on Saturday – December 13th -, will instead be completely dedicated to the meeting with the artists and to the presentation of their works; to conclude one-to-one meetings with the artists in the day on Sunday, December 14th, also with the participation of Professor Antonello Pelliccia – Director of the School of Artistic Design for Enterprises of the Brera Academy – which together with the teachers – Gabriel Antonio Ciurleo  and Gabriele Perretta – will talk about Light Art within that school.
Text by Valentina Porro
Title event: Light Art Ensemble
Where: Ex Chiesa di San Carpoforo, Via Formentini, Milano.
When: 12-13-14 Dicembre 2014

Captions: (from right to left)
“Meteora” by Marinella Pirelli,
“Sensorial Space” by Maria Cristiana Fioretti,
“Speculum Solis” by Nicola Evangelisti,
“Light Seeds” by Nino Alfieri.