On the occasion of the 20th Giornata del Contemporaneo, the Association The Sharing invites the public to visit the public art installation Cristallo di Luce, created by Diego Scroppo, at Environment Park, located on Via Andrea Costaguta, 21, 10144 Torino. To fully appreciate the aesthetic and luminous qualities of the work, the visit is recommended after 7:00 PM.
A totemic element and symbol of energy sustainability, Cristallo di Luce is the result of a multi-year and itinerant project, which has traveled through the communities of Chamois (July-August 2022), Aosta (September 2022), and Turin (since November 2022). Its first exhibition took place at the previous edition of Paratissima, in the spaces of Cavallerizza Reale, followed by its permanent installation at the Environment Park.
The sculpture of the Cristallo reflects the sharp peaks of mountains and the upward thrust of ancient Egyptian obelisks, which populate the cultural and landscape imagery of Turin. The work is made of glass, steel, and aluminum structures, illuminated by a self-sustaining LED system powered by photovoltaic technology. These elements are meant to shelter an olive tree. Through a symbolic interplay that merges technology and nature, past traditions, and warnings for the future, Diego Scroppo’s sculpture aims to be a microcosmic testimony to the tensions that animate the macrocosm of our planet, here and now, in this particular and delicate moment in history.
Moreover, Scroppo offers a fully public approach to the artistic use of light. By being self-sustaining, the light of the Cristallo does not merely avoid consuming energy from the hosting community but is also able to give back the energy that nourishes it. Beyond creating more welcoming and safer spaces through its luminous components, the Cristallo also serves as a power bank, capable of offering daily energy services to the community, representing a gift that helps limit environmental impact.
This work thus achieves one of the artist’s most cherished aspects, who states: “Part of my art has been privatized. As the term ‘private’ itself suggests, it has been taken away from the public. But art must always be public; it doesn’t even belong to the author.”
The Cristallo di Luce project, conceived by Scroppo, was produced by the Association The Sharing. It also won the ART~WAVES grant, promoted by the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, which supports projects in the artistic and cultural fields aimed at the enhancement, production, and enjoyment of cultural assets and activities in the regions of Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d’Aosta. Cristallo di Luce is also supported by Regione Piemonte, Camera di Commercio di Torino, and Fondazione CRT.