Paper/Northern Lights by Gianni Pettena at Milano Art Week: a

Paper/Northern Lights by Gianni Pettena at Milano Art Week

Paper/Northern Lights, first conceived in 1971, returns in a new configuration for Milano Art Week. The installation fills the exhibition spaces of BiM in the Bicocca district of Milan: long suspended paper strips create an environment that continually transforms as visitors move through it.

The work rejects the idea of art as a distant object to be passively observed. Visitors physically interact with the hanging elements, shaping the space visually and emotionally. The curator frames the piece as the opposite of an attitude of awe toward art, inviting people to build a personal space within the installation.

• Why visit: it provides a sensory, participatory experience emphasizing the relation between body and space.
• What to expect: a mutable paper landscape where visitor movement alters light, form and perspective.
• Where: BiM, Bicocca district, Milan.
• Timing: exhibited as part of Milano Art Week; check official channels for opening hours and access rules.

Practical tips: wear comfortable shoes to move through the installation and follow staff instructions to help preserve the work. For deeper context, consult critical writings and archival sources on Gianni Pettena and historical reinterpretations of his practice.