The Sense of Snow

Snow transforms landscapes and alters perception. Throughout history, it has influenced and inspired human cultures, especially those that coexist with it. The exhibition, curated by Sara Rizzo and Alessandro Oldani, unfolds as a multidisciplinary journey across science, art, and anthropology, bringing together over 150 works, from paintings and installations to ethnographic objects. It traces the study of snow crystals, from early scientific research to artistic interpretations, while also exploring its cultural significance across Arctic, Antarctic, and Himalayan communities, where snow has shaped rituals, myths, and ways of living.

The exhibition design translates this heterogeneity into a unified, all-encompassing white spatial experience – moving beyond the traditional “white cube” by blurring the boundaries between walls and floor, all rendered in white. Inspired by the perceptual condition of being immersed in snow, where horizon lines fade and spatial references become uncertain, the display creates a continuous, enveloping environment. In this state of visual suspension, visitors lose clear points of orientation, entering a space that feels ethereal and indeterminate.

While the objects are organized in thematic groups in relation to the snow, the white field acts as a neutral plane, absorbing the differences between archival materials, everyday objects and art.