Uwe Wittwer, Slawomir Elsner — Il dono

We are thrilled to inaugurate our season in Milan with the dual exhibition Il dono, featuring Uwe Wittwer and Slawomir Elsner. Both artists will be showcasing their work in Italy for the first time, united by a longstanding friendship and a shared practice that draws deeply from their shared artistic and cultural heritage. 

Uwe Wittwer (*Zurich, 1954) is a leading figure in Swiss contemporary art. His work, marked by a profound exploration of the nature of images and memory, has been displayed at prestigious venues such as Tate Britain and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in New York. Wittwer's art often reinterprets existing images, blending contemporary or historical references into paintings, watercolors, and charcoal drawings that evoke both sensuality and ambiguity.

Slawomir Elsner (*Wodzislaw, 1976), a Polish artist based in Berlin, is celebrated for his meticulous color pencil drawings and watercolors  that explore the interplay of light and color. Winner of the 2020 Otto Ritschl Prize, Elsner's work challenges the boundaries between reality and image. His pieces are included in major collections worldwide, and he is currently featured in a solo exhibition at Munich's Pinakothek der Moderne, running until September 16, 2024.

The exhibition Il dono revolves around one of the most iconic paintings in European art history: Caravaggio's Fruit Basket (late 16th century), housed in Milan's Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Wittwer and Elsner offer a fresh interpretation of this masterpiece and other Caravaggio works, including the Cena di Emmaus from Pinacoteca di Brera and the Portrait of Fillide Melandroni, a lost painting believed to have been destroyed during World War II. The exhibition will feature a new series of large watercolors and oil paintings that explore these themes through the unique lenses of both artists.

This dual exhibition presents a rare opportunity to experience the innovative reinterpretation of classical art by two contemporary masters, each bringing their distinct perspectives to the dialogue between past and present.