Germinazioni: Art Meets Sound in Genoa
From October 2 to 24, 2026, the La Madeleine Gallery will host a solo exhibition by Gian Mario Conti, curated by Gina Ingrassia. Approximately thirty works, an original soundscape, and live performances explore the cycle of life, navigating between memory and rebirth.
An image can evoke a sound. A musical composition can convey the sensation of a color, trigger a memory, or alter one’s perception of space. From this interplay emerges Germinazioni, the solo exhibition by Gian Mario Conti that kicks off the season at the Galleria La Madeleine in Genoa, owned by Silvio Oliva and Paola Ghiglione.
Scheduled from October 2 to 24, 2026, the exhibition is curated by art historian Gina Ingrassia and brings together approximately thirty works, accompanied by a soundscape created specifically for the project. Conti’s visual and musical explorations thus converge in an experience in which the viewer is invited to look, listen, and grasp the relationships between different languages.
The opening will take place on Friday, October 2, at 6:00 p.m., as part of START Genova, the event that brings contemporary art to the heart of the city through a widespread itinerary featuring galleries, narrow alleys, and historic buildings.
Art as an Awakening of Awareness
The iconographic universe of Gian Mario Conti is populated by pollinating bees, characteristic “strands” of color, and recurring symbols, including skulls. These elements reappear throughout the exhibition, connecting nature’s generative power with the fragility of existence.
The bee evokes the movement of life, the possibility of continuity entrusted to minute gestures and connections. The presence of the skull, on the other hand, introduces the concept of limits, finitude, and the awareness of time destined to transform everything. In the context of the exhibition, these references combine to foster a reflection on the life cycle and the relationship between what is born, what disappears, and what endures.
Alongside this repertoire, Conti’s work progressively moves away from figuration. Shapes, colors, and light become a more essential field of inquiry, open to the visitor’s interpretation.
It is in this openness that his conception of art emerges: a tool for the critical analysis of contemporary society, capable of stimulating attention and awareness. The aesthetic experience becomes an opportunity to question one’s own way of perceiving, remembering, and giving meaning to things.
Sprout, Bloom, Resonate
The Germinazioni exhibition unfolds in three sections, linked by a cyclical structure. The sequence of works evokes the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth through the interaction between visual elements and sound.
The first section, Germinazioni, explores genesis: the primordial impulse of life, the subterranean energy seeking a way to emerge. The title refers to an often-invisible phase in which change is already underway, even though it has not yet manifested itself.
Fiori di campo focuses on the spontaneous beauty and transience of existence. Blooming represents the peak of vital energy, yet it also marks the beginning of its decline. Beauty and fragility coexist in the same moment, making the temporary nature of every form perceptible.
With Echoes, the journey enters the realm of memory, persistence, and return. What remains transforms into resonance and sets the stage for a new beginning. Memory is part of the cycle, linking past experience to the possibility of biological and spiritual rebirth.
The three sections invite visitors to pause in an inner time, where the past of memory and the future of anticipation meet in the present moment of the visit.
An Installation to Enter the Work
The journey finds its culmination in a final environmental installation, where the visual elements and the soundscapes composed by Conti merge, enveloping the viewer.
The synesthetic dimension of the project takes shape here through the relationship between what is seen and what is heard. Sound helps define the atmosphere, while images guide the perception of the musical composition.
Visitors are invited to feel part of the environment and the cycle evoked by the exhibition. Even the time spent in the space becomes part of the experience: a pause, a second glance, or a resonance of sound can open up different interpretations of the works.
The performances: a dialogue between music and words
On Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3, Gian Mario Conti and Gina Ingrassia will be present at the gallery to meet the public.
On both days, the project will be enriched by a live sound performance. Conti will perform music composed specifically for the exhibition, interweaving it with Ingrassia’s voice as she recites a text written to offer a poetic and philosophical interpretation of the works.
Music, voice, and words will thus further shape the themes of the exhibition, making the encounter with the public an integral part of the exhibition project.
The live sets are scheduled for Friday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 3, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m..
START Genova: A City Infused with Art
The opening of Germinazioni coincides with the 21st edition of START Genova, the historic “White Night” of galleries promoted by the city’s modern and contemporary art spaces.
From October 2 to 4, the historic center will host openings and special events, offering the public a journey through contemporary art forms. The event invites visitors to discover galleries woven into the urban fabric, following an itinerary where visiting exhibitions intertwines with the experience of the city.
In this context, La Madeleine opens its season with a project dedicated to transformation. Germinazioni uses the encounter between images and sounds to reflect on the cycle of life: emerging, blossoming, leaving a mark, and beginning anew.
Useful Information
Exhibition: Germinazioni
Artist: Gian Mario Conti — visual works, music, and performances
Curated by: Gina Ingrassia
Venue: La Madeleine Gallery
Address: Via della Maddalena 105 Rosso, 16124 Genoa
Dates: October 2–24, 2026
Opening: Friday, October 2, at 6:00 p.m.
Artist and curator in attendance: Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3
Live performances: Friday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 3, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Special opening hours: Sunday, October 4, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Admission: free
