outfitting of the “Coincidences” exhibitions, Castelgrande – Bellizona
(with N.Marras graphics by M.Huber)

The Bellinzona castle hosts in the stateroom and in the garden of the bailey 140 works of the collection Marguerite e Jean Arp. Result of the commitment of Marguerite Hagenbach, second wife of the artist, the heterogenous collection is made up by works of around sixty of the most important artists of the twentieth century- the title of the exibition underline the randomness of the collection. Designed for conferences, concerts, receptions, but not exibition, the space dedicated to the exibition (a parallelepiped measuring 50m x 6m and 5m high) was transformed from a temporary anonymous structure, designed to increase the surface area available for displaying paintings. It was laid out as a single continuous space with settings proportioned to the works and the thematic groups in which they were to be presented. False chipboards walls (365cm high) were mounted on a slender wooden frame. The wooden paneling, completely detached from the masonry walls, was self-supporting through its own geometry. This made possible to create continuous walls of large dimensions; the number of panels could only be added to or reduced. The false walls screened off the natural illumination. This was replaced by quartz lamps mounted on galvanized metal brackets placed behind and on top of the panels to create a soft, indirect, diffused light so as to enhance the qualities of the paintings. Outside, in the forecourt, the theme of the exhibition was represented through the chance encounter between the setting – the stone masses of the medieval towers and walls contrasting with the open countryside – and Arp’s sculptures, which were grouped by size and type against the backdrop of the restructured and newly rendered buildings near the entrance. In the heart of the old town, at the foot of the castle, another great sculpture by Arp signaled the exhibition. The flexibility and effectiveness of the installation prompted its reuse on two further occasions (Mario Negri 1994, and Henry Moore gli ultimi dieci anni 1995).