Brian Eno in Parma: the site-specific SEED installation and the

Brian Eno in Parma: SEED and My Light Years

From May 1 to August 2, 2026, Parma presents two site-specific projects by Brian Eno: SEED, a sound installation for the Giardini di San Paolo, and My Light Years, the artist's major European exhibition devoted to light, hosted in the monumental spaces of the Ospedale Vecchio.

Two venues, two experiences

The projects occupy two cultural complexes recently reopened to the public: the Complesso Monumentale di San Paolo and the Ospedale Vecchio. Both sites are reinterpreted through works that combine sound, light and architecture.

SEED: the site-specific audio installation

SEED is a multi-phase project centered on the listener. Conceived by Brian Eno with writer Ece Temelkuran, the installation deploys generative music tracks across roughly 8,000 square metres of the Giardini di San Paolo. Visitors create their own soundtrack by moving freely through the space, experiencing a constantly changing, synesthetic soundscape.

At the end of the first phase, the listening experience will be captured via field recording and pressed onto a single-copy vinyl to be included in the Casa del Suono collection, marking the collaboration between the artist and the city.

My Light Years: light as an artistic medium

In the Crociera of the Ospedale Vecchio, My Light Years gathers a wide selection of Eno's light installations and audiovisual works. For the first time many pieces are shown together in one venue, including historical works and pieces created especially for Parma.

The exhibition highlights the relationship between the works and the architecture, encouraging extended visits and an active exploration of the monumental spaces.

Why visit

• Explore the intersection of sound, light and environment in the practice of a major international artist.
• Experience a site-specific installation that alters the perception of public gardens and urban landscape.
• Discover historic Parma venues reopened to the community through cultural regeneration projects.

Practical information

• Dates: May 1, 2026 – August 2, 2026
• Locations: Gardens of the Complesso Monumentale di San Paolo (SEED) and Crociera of the Ospedale Vecchio (My Light Years), Parma
• Curator: Alessandro Albertini
• Note: opening hours, tickets and access procedures may change: check the official channels or the municipality's website for updates.

Together, SEED and My Light Years invite visitors to rediscover Parma's public spaces through the sensitive, experimental work of Brian Eno, blending generative sound and luminous installations within an architectural context.