Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots

‘In my opinion, a tree is a prime example of a perfect sculpture.’ Even more than other Arte Povera artists, Giuseppe Penone has devoted himself to highlighting the artistry of nature. He is not the only figure to have taken a root-and-branch approach – Piero Gilardi cheekily evoked arboreal elements through polyurethane foam in his Nature Carpets, while Mario Merz occasionally incorporated real saplings into his igloo-shaped structures – but it is Penone who has spent the last half-century marshalling bronze, terracotta, marble and other materials to explore the artistic potential and quiet majesty of trees. This survey of his work at the Serpentine is the largest Penone retrospective ever mounted in the UK and, appropriately enough, spills out of the gallery and into Kensington Gardens (3 April–7 September).

Find out more from the Serpentine’s website.
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Installation view of Albero folgorato (Thunderstruck Tree) (2012) by Giuseppe Penone in Versailles in 2013. Photo: © Archivio Penone

Installation view of Idee di pietra – Ciliegio (Ideas of Stone – Cherry Tree) (2011) by Giuseppe Penone in Versailles in 2013. Photo: © Archivio Penone

Installation view of A occhi chiusi (With Eyes Closed) (2009) by Giuseppe Penone at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, in 2021. Photo: © Archivio Penone