Giulio Paolini

1940, Genoa, Italy

Giulio Paolini is among the undisputed protagonists of Italian and European contemporary art. A historic exponent of Conceptual Art, his work has always revolved around the theme of representation, the self-referentiality of the artwork, and the figure of the artist as "spectator" rather than creator. Following his debut at the 1964 Venice Biennale, his career has been marked by exhibitions in the world's leading museums, from the Centre Pompidou to MoMA.

An artist of refined thought and an almost metaphysical sensibility, Giulio Paolini personally visited Cervino 28 Art Studio, where he was able to appreciate the philosophy behind the project. The gallery today houses one of his most prestigious works, strengthening a precious bond between collector and artist.

This installation by Giulio Paolini is one of the most significant works held at Cervino 28. It is a work I know well, one I had the good fortune to see born and take shape right here, in the exhibition space, under the artist's own careful guidance.

It is titled Doppia verità (copia e riflessi), and is made up of four plaster columns arranged in a precise order, each holding a different object: a golden sphere, a stone, a metal polyhedron and fragments of plaster. On the floor, at the centre, lies a mirrored slab that reflects everything, and more: engraved on it is the very drawing of the work itself, as if we were standing before a map, a conceptual "copy" of what we are looking at.

Scattered around the mirror are fragments of plexiglass and wood, echoing the frames of the two mirrors on the walls, added by Paolini for the 2025 installation here at Cervino 28. A detail the artist wanted in order to recall the atmosphere of the Sala degli Specchi at Villa Olmo, where the work had previously been exhibited.

The whole creates a perfect visual balance, yet an unsettled one at the same time. There is order and disorder, harmony and fragmentation, reflection and disorientation. The title itself, Doppia verità (Double Truth), puts us on guard: perhaps there is no single truth, only a play of reflections and contrasts, as so often happens in art.

To me, this installation is an invitation to go beyond appearance, to suspend reality for a moment and enter that suspended, mysterious space that is representation. That is why I am glad it can be seen here, at Cervino 28, where it continues, every day, to engage in dialogue with those who stop to listen to it with their eyes.