Pablo Atchugarry: Sculpting Light

The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome hosts Sculpting Light, a solo exhibition by Pablo Atchugarry curated by Gabriele Simongini. The show features roughly fifty sculptures made over the last fifteen years, including Carrara marble, wood from ancient olive trunks, alabaster, enameled bronze and large steel works.

What to expect

Atchugarry's pieces pursue a balance between permanence and movement, intertwining memory and contemporary sensibilities. The metamorphic, often aerodynamic shapes evoke trees, columns, flames, bodies and drapery, lifting the gaze upward and offering a contemplative experience. The exhibition also includes a donation titled Energy, a white marble work entering the museum's collection.

Exhibition layout and dialogue

The display surveys the artist's techniques and situates several works within the permanent collection to create dialogues with modern masters such as Jean Arp, Lucio Fontana, Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore. These encounters highlight continuities and distinctions between historical and contemporary practices.

Artist profile

Pablo Atchugarry (Montevideo, 1954) developed his practice between Uruguay and Italy. After early painting and sculptural experiments, he discovered Carrara marble in the late 1970s and made Italy his home. His work combines classical sculptural tradition with a spiritual inquiry into form, conceived as an inner interrogation and pursuit of the infinite.

Practical information

• Dates: 19 May - 21 June 2026
• Venue: Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Viale delle Belle Arti 131, Rome
• Curator: Gabriele Simongini
• Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 09:00 - 19:00; Monday closed
• Info and tickets: +39 06 32298221
• Website: gnamc.cultura.gov.it

Why see it

• A comprehensive look at Atchugarry's recent production across diverse materials.
• Unique conversations with the museum's permanent collection that reveal historical links.
• An installation that emphasizes the relationship between sculpture, light and space.