Giuseppe Penone
Giuseppe Penone
Book
This catalogue accompanied the exhibition at Serpentine South, bringing together works spanning five decades of Giuseppe Penone’s practice. A leading figure of Arte Povera, Penone explores the relationship between nature, material and transformation, revealing the hidden structures and processes within wood, bronze, marble and other natural materials.
In response to Penone’s sensitivity to texture, time and the traces of making, Atelier Dyakova selected Modulo, a typeface by the historic Turin-based Nebiolo foundry (1880–1978), digitised by Archivio Tipografico in 2022. With its heavy, sculptural forms and almost primitive, carved appearance, the typeface connects with Penone’s Italian heritage and the visual language of Arte Povera. It evokes the weight and texture of wood.
Throughout the publication, semi-transparent vellum pages are interleaved to create moments of pause and breathing space. These translucent layers add depth between image, text and material, echoing Penone’s exploration of what lies beneath the surface.
The cover features Albero folgorato (Thunderstruck Tree) (2012). Three-dimensional foiling and embossing translate the artwork’s sculptural quality into the printed form. A gloss gold-foil book edge references Penone’s use of gold leaf in the sculpture, where the precious material reveals the tree’s hidden structure.
The publication features new writings and drawings by Penone, an extended conversation with Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, and contributions from Federico Campagna, Ludovico Einaudi, Precious Okoyomon and Elif Shafak.
2025
