Nothing™️

Nothing™️ – An Artistic Exploration of Absence

From 1 April 2025 in Turin, Milan, Bologna, and Paris

Curated by Elena Volpato as part of Esterno GAM, Federico Pepe and Le Dictateur Studio present “Nothing™️”—a fluid artistic project that defies definition, crossing physical and conceptual boundaries to transform absence into presence. Conceived by Pepe, a multidisciplinary artist and founder of Le Dictateur, and curated by Volpato, “Nothing™️” unfolds across multiple cities and spaces, turning serious just as the audience begins to play. Through events and installations, it explores the void and its significance.

The journey begins at GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Turin before expanding to MAMbo in Bologna and major galleries in Milan and Paris. In Milan, coinciding with Design Week 2025, the project takes on its most radical form in Via Melzo, presenting ‘nothingness’ as a total experience.

At its core, “Nothing™️” is an exhibition of absence, granting it a tangible presence. The project challenges the public to see emptiness, uselessness, and absurdity as active forces, transforming the void into a space for thought and interaction.

With irony and paradox, “Nothing™️” explores our relationship with consumption and materiality through different iterations. In Milan, a mock shop sells ‘nothing’ as a commodity, displaying shelves of non-existent objects on digital screens. Meanwhile, a swarm of delivery riders transports invisible packages across the city, spreading “Nothing™️” like a virus.