PONS HERAE
Back to the Mould
Il Germoglio Gallery, Pontedera, Italy, 8 December 2023 – 5 January 2024
Returning to my hometown after many years abroad gave PONS HERAE a deeply personal meaning. Presented at Il Germoglio Gallery under the patronage of the Municipality of Pontedera, the exhibition explored memory, place and transformation through photographs created from 35 mm Kodachrome slides altered by controlled mould growth. It was both a homecoming and the first major exhibition of Back to the Mould in the city where my journey began.
Katherine Mann
Artist and writer
"PONS HERAE is, above all, a homecoming. The familiar landscapes of Pontedera become transformed twice: first through photography, then through the unpredictable growth of mould. The resulting works balance artistic intention with biological chance, reflecting both memory and the passage of time."
Matteo Franconi
Mayor of Pontedera
"Back to the Mould embodies Pontedera's commitment to experimentation and innovation. Through the collaboration between artists, institutions and scientific research, the exhibition reflects the city's vision of culture as a universal language capable of connecting art, science and future generations."
Aldo Filippi
Art historian
"Volpi approaches photography with the same curiosity and rigorous methodology that characterise scientific research. By transforming mould, normally associated with deterioration, into a creative medium, he reveals unexpected beauty and demonstrates how observation, experimentation and artistic intuition can coexist within a single creative process."
Exhibition Catalogue