Where To Find Art And Design In Langhe
Even with summer holidays over we still make time for weekend adventure. Practically in our back yard on a late summer Saturday afternoon, too cold to go to the swimming pool and too warm to just stay indoors, we took a drive to the Alta Langa. I had heard about a part art exhibit, part sculpture garden, part restored residence and b&b in an area of the Langhe mostly overlooked by us. We drove into the small secluded street Lunetta 11 in Niella Belbo. The road was too narrow for two lane traffic, or otherwise someone would have to relent and retreat in reverse to let the others pass-that’s how small. We were high altitude and the architecture of the houses became predominantly stone, the trees rich and green from the intermittent rain from days before hinting at autumn. The gardener’s dog approached our car as we slowed down trying to understand if we had the right address-no immediate sign except for this dog.
image source lunetta11.com
We were welcomed by one of three people living in this place. We were the first of several visitors who had reserved spots in the day to visit international but predominantly new Italian artists on display. My little girl was too attracted to the sculptur garden and Kiera the Jack Russell to bother with the gallery inside. Each artist had their own respective rooms and our host explained that this was the first year the gallery opened its doors and they had decided to keep the exhibition throughout November because of the over expected number of visitors.
From left clockwise: Valerio Berruti-Dove il cielo si attacca alla collina, Caterina Silva-Autobiografia di un nuovo paesaggio 2, Kazumasa Mizokami-Cielo-quarto mezzogiorno, Alessandro Gioiello-Dioniso, Roberto Barni-Atto muto
image source lunetta11.com
Jessica Carroll-like you better
image source lunetta11.com
The renovation of the home was integral to why I suspect people are drawn here. On their website, the structure is described as BioArchitecture which has more to do with concepts than just materials—the behaviour and attitudes of the place towards the habitat it resides in is respectful of its traditions and the natural resources available to it, paying absolute attention to consumption of use and reuse of materials. These concepts were made visible and felt on our visit. I look forward to visiting again next summer when they plan to host their next round of artists.