Rebecca Moccia’s “ATMOSFERICA” Unveiled at Casa Zegna
From May 25th to September 15th, 2024, the Zegna Foundation presents a captivating exploration of art and nature with the debut of “ATMOSFERICA” at Casa Zegna in Trivero Valdilana (Biella). Designed by artist Rebecca Moccia (Naples, 1992) and curated by Ilaria Bonacossa, this innovative project delves into the interplay between seasons, emotions, and environments.
For years, Rebecca Moccia has delved into the atmospheres and “temperatures” of various locales, investigating the spatiotemporal contexts where human and non-human relationships unfold. Her latest endeavor at Casa Zegna focuses on atmospheric transformations, offering insights into the reciprocal influences between emotions and landscapes.
Titled “ATMOSFERICA: Seasons and Temperaments,” the exhibition seeks to unravel the intricacies of human affectivity in response to our surroundings, shedding light on how unsustainable development, disrupting rhythms and balances, impacts our perceptual and emotional realms.
Drawing inspiration from numerous visits to Casa Zegna and the Zegna Oasis—a sprawling territory surrounding the Zegna wool mill—Rebecca Moccia’s project is deeply rooted in the ethos of social and environmental consciousness cultivated by Ermenegildo Zegna over a century ago.
Set within Casa Zegna’s former winter garden—a glass-clad space where light fluctuates with the time of day and season, and artificial temperature control is minimized—ATMOSFERICA transforms the environment into a living organism. Through meticulous use of fabric, a cornerstone of the collaborative partnership between the Zegna Foundation and the environment, Moccia imbues the space with two distinct textile-based atmospheres—one warm, one cold—rendered visually and tactilely.
Moccia intertwines opposing materials that either disperse or retain heat, allow or impede the passage of light, soften or sharpen ambient sounds, thereby adorning Casa Zegna’s architecture. The transition between temperatures is further emphasized through the use of cool colors for the summer season and warm hues for winter.
Moreover, sculptural fabric modules sculpt intimate zones and resting spaces, crafted in collaboration with the Textile Manufacturing Laboratory of the San Patrignano Community. Complementing these installations are handwoven tapestries symbolizing the physical relationship between places, bodies, and temperatures.
“ATMOSFERICA: Seasons and Temperaments” is part of the Zegna Foundation’s ongoing exploration of the nexus between nature, art, and science initiated in 2020 with the Zegna Forest reforestation project. Central to a decade-long regeneration plan for the Zegna Oasis, this ecosystem serves as a canvas for artists interpreting its philosophical, visual, and emotional facets, including Laura Pugno (2021), Emilio Vavarella (2022), and Roberto Coda Zabetta (2023).
