Marie Cool Fabio Balducci: Senza Sole

Galleria P420 presents “Senza Sole” (Sunless), an exhibition by artistic duo Marie Cool and Fabio Balducci.

Marie Cool, originally from northern France and with a background in contemporary dance, and Fabio Balducci, from Ancona, Italy, with roots in visual arts and cinema, began their collaborative journey in 1995. Over the years, they have crafted a cohesive body of work that spans performances, films, installations, sculptures, and drawings, often marked by themes of labor, temporality, and human interaction with space.

“Senza Sole” is a twilight-themed exhibition, transforming the gallery’s first room with an installation that emphasizes themes of isolation and introspection. The room’s large windows, typically left transparent to engage with the outside world, are entirely covered with wood-effect adhesive plastic film, evoking a kind of domestic austerity. Commonly seen in stores or applied to office furniture, this type of adhesive is associated with budget-conscious renovations, evoking settings of limited resources. The covered windows darken the gallery, casting it in a muted, surreal amber-brown light that invites viewers to step into a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

Through this space-altering installation and the other works on display across two gallery rooms (including some that extend into office areas), the artists foreground the gallery itself as both a physical and symbolic environment. By exploring themes of labor, spatial orientation, and the passage of time, “Senza Sole” draws viewers into a layered conversation about our relationships with work, personal space, and the subtle endurance of everyday materials and actions.