Following its Italian debut during Milan Art Week and Milan Design Week 2026, *Paper/Cosmic Breeze* by architect and artist Gianni Pettena (Bolzano, 1940) arrives at Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence. The installation, hosted in the MOTEL spaces under the patronage of the City of Florence, is open to the public free of charge from June 12 to September 16, 2026. The work was originally created in 1971 under the title *Paper/Midwestern Ocean* at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and is now presented in a new version that preserves its participatory nature while adapting to the contemporary context. As one of the leading figures of Italian Radical Architecture, Gianni Pettena developed a body of work that transcends the boundaries between architecture, art, and design, transforming space into an experience open to interaction. His works focus on the creative process rather than the finished object, incorporating nature, time, and collective participation.
“Paper/Cosmic Breeze” consists of hundreds of long strips of paper suspended from the ceiling that completely fill the space. Visitors, equipped with scissors, are invited to cut their own path through the installation, gradually altering its shape. Each intervention helps transform the work, which evolves day by day thanks to the public’s actions. Pettena himself initiated this process by making the first cuts during the opening, setting in motion the installation’s ongoing metamorphosis.
The exhibition is curated by Davide Giannella, while the new title, *Paper/Cosmic Breeze*, expands on the evocative power of the original project: the reference to the sea in the 1971 version gives way to a cosmic dimension, in which the strips of paper seem to move as if swept by a breeze, accompanying visitors on an immersive experience of sound, light, and movement.
The lighting installation was created by the Specific collective, consisting of Patrick Tuttofuoco, Andrea Sala, Nic Bello, Alessandra Pallotta, Marco Bruzzone, and Elena Morganti. Thanks to technical support from Targetti, light becomes an integral part of the installation: warm, amber-colored tones alternate as they fade in and out, interacting with the white of the paper and responding to the transformations generated by the audience’s interaction.
The installation also marks the launch of MOTEL’s cultural program, the new event space at Manifattura Tabacchi housed within the former industrial complex. With over 3,000 square meters of exhibition spaces, a garden, a terrace, and the Caveau—which houses the factory’s historical archive—MOTEL presents itself as a new venue dedicated to art, creativity, and events open to the city. The program will continue in September with a site-specific performance by the Florentine collective Kinkaleri, which will present a live piece designed specifically to engage with *Paper/Cosmic Breeze*, continuing the journey of continuous transformation that characterizes Gianni Pettena’s work.
Hours: June 12–30: free admission, Wednesday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Closed Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday
From July 1 to July 31: Open by appointment only; book in advance on Eventbrite (Info: https://www.manifatturatabacchi.com/eventi/giannipettena/). Thursdays and Fridays from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Closed in August.
From September 3 to September 16: Wednesday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Closed Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday.
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| Gianni Pettena's participatory installation in Florence: the public transforms "Paper/Cosmic Breeze" |
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