Group SHOW • ATTO 1/3: SOTTO LA LUCE

BIGAIGNON x RHINOCEROS GALLERY, ROME, ITALY
OPENING: FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2025 (6-8PM)
EXHIBITION FROM 19 SEPTEMBER TO 18 NOVEMBER 2025

Artists: Anne-Camille Allueva, Rossella Bellusci, Anne Blanchet, Rachelle Bussières, Máté Dobokay, Renato D’Agostin, Mireille Fulpius, Ralph Gibson, Yannig Hedel, James Howell, Fernando Marante, Chris McCaw, Thomas Paquet, Olivier Ratsi, Elyn Zimmerman

We are delighted to announce our very first exhibition in Rome, presented in partnership with Rhinoceros — a remarkable venue established by Alda Fendi and designed by Jean Nouvel, in the very heart of the Italian capital. Entitled "Atto 1/3: Sotto la Luce", this group show dedicated to the essential element of light marks the first chapter of a trilogy of exhibitions running from September 2025 to March 2026.

Light, the foundation of all creation, has always been one of the most sought-after and explored themes in art history. In photography, it is inseparable from the medium itself — created through it and shaped by it. This group exhibition brings together 19 works (photographs, paintings, sculptures & installations) by 15 artists of the gallery, each interpreting light as the central theme.

Among the featured artists, Thomas Paquet presents three works, including a monumental piece that resonates with those currently on view at PM23, Valentino Garavani & Giancarlo Giammetti’s foundation in Rome. Italian photographer Renato D’Agostin unveils a striking installation of 15 silver gelatin prints that reveal the subtle transformations of light across the urban landscape, while Portuguese visual artist Fernando Marante explores the interplay between light and movement.

The show also creates a compelling dialogue between the works of Hungarian artist Máté Dobokay and American painter James Howell, whose retrospective will be held simultaneously at the Parrish Museum in New York. Chris McCaw, known for his work with sunlight itself, presents a previously unseen triptych.

More delicate approaches to light are also present: from Rossella Bellusci’s ghostlike portrait to the minimalist works of Anne-Camille Allueva, Rachelle Bussières and Anne Blanchet, and the wall sculptures of Mireille Fulpius. An original dialogue is also created between the photographs of French artist Yannig Hedel and those of Elyn Zimmerman, one of the pioneering figures of the 1970s Light & Space movement. The exhibition culminates with Ralph Gibson’s iconic photograph The Priest, a striking finale for this first act, on view from September 19 to November 18, 2025.

In parallel, and in collaboration with the Fondazione Alda Fendi – Esperimenti, we will also take over a space on the first floor of the historical Rhinoceros building until March 2026, to present a major installation by Olivier Ratsi. This immersive piece serves as a synthesis of the three exhibitions planned at Rhinoceros, encompassing the three key elements we have chosen to highlight during our Roman residency: light, time, and space.

Rhinoceros embodies a concept of intellectual journeying. It is here that Fondazione Alda Fendi - Esperimenti has laid a foundational stone in 2018, creating an intercultural bridge between Rome and the rest of the world. This connection was sparked by a groundbreaking collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, which gave birth to a historical and contemporary dialogue, hosting masterpieces by Michelangelo, El Greco and Picasso. The name rhinoceros is a suggestion that refers to ancient Rome and to an idea of strength, form and unconventionality. The building which houses the gallery on the ground floor was designed as a city of the arts, on the model of Paris Passages: the exhibition areas are not confined to a single level but are distributed vertically, integrating seamlessly into the architecture of the building. Its six floors also house twenty-five apartments magnificently designed and furnished by Jean Nouvel, and the gallery restaurant with panoramic terraces, a place for meeting, dialogue and reflection. Each space, from the ground up and through the landings of this dynamic condo, is meticulously created to inspire and connect people globally, symbolizing a creative ascent from the gallery to the terraces.