Can a work of art elude the gaze and still continue to exist as a work of art even if no one sees it? This is one of the questions at the heart of Luca Rossi’s work. An artist and regular contributor to *Finestre sull’Arte*, Rossi’s *Hidden Works* series features pieces shielded from immediate view, whose eventual revelation is left to the collector’s discretion: Indeed, this choice—which stands in contrast to a cultural system accustomed to constantly exhibiting, photographing, and sharing images—earned Luca Rossi the 2026 Sustainable Art Prize, awarded at ArtVerona for the research he presented at the Traveling Gallery booth and for the exhibition project *Fingertips Society*, a curatorial project dedicated to the contradictions of contemporary society and the relationship between the individual, the screen, identity, and reality.
The award recognizes Luca Rossi’s career, which began in 2009, in which artistic practice is continually intertwined with criticism and curatorial work. From this perspective, sustainability is not limited to the materials used to create a work or the environmental impact of cultural production; it also encompasses the way we view and assign value to images, and decide what deserves to be preserved, displayed, or consumed.
This is the meaning of the “ecology of the gaze” referenced by the jury in its award citation: “His ecology of the gaze invites us to produce less and see better, going beyond appearances and inviting us to reflect on the choice between consumption and protection.” The idea is that a different relationship with images can become part of a broader reflection on individual and collective behaviors, on forms of consumption, and on the mechanisms that govern the circulation of culture.
The Hidden Works represent one of the most recognizable expressions of this approach. Removing a work from view does not simply mean preventing access to it: it means intervening in the expectations that accompany the artistic experience, challenging the idea that a work must always be available, visible, and immediately recognizable in order to be appreciated. The choice to conceal it, on the other hand, opens up a space for anticipation, imagination, and the responsibility of its owner. Today, in our society, images multiply and follow one another at a continuous pace, so the choice not to display a work becomes a statement: the artwork is not merely something to be seen and consumed, but can also be something to be safeguarded, whose existence does not necessarily coincide with its public display. This is a reflection that directly concerns the art world, but it also extends to everyday consumption habits, which are increasingly tied to digital reproduction and sharing.
The “Hidden Works” project has recently found a home at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, where a work from the series is incorporated into the restaurant’s artistic itinerary alongside works by leading figures in the international contemporary art scene. Its presence in this context illustrates one possible way in which works of art can relate to the spaces that host them, while keeping the themes of visibility and protection at the center.
The award presented to Luca Rossi at ArtVerona 2026 is thus part of a broader reflection on the role of contemporary art that involves artists, institutions, collectors, and the public alike. If sustainability also implies rethinking behaviors and cultural models, the choice to produce less and observe more carefully becomes one of the issues that artistic research can help bring to light.
The Sustainable Art Prize, established in 2017 in collaboration with the Sustainability Office of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, is dedicated to artistic research that contributes to the discussion on the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Since 2022, the Universities of Padua and Verona have also participated in the initiative, with the aim of strengthening the dialogue between contemporary art, academic research, and new generations. The prize includes a grant of 5,000 euros to fund a collective project with university students, leading up to 2027. The jury that selected the winner for the 2026 edition consisted of Nicola Frison, professor at the University of Verona; Elena Semenzin, professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; Mauro Varotto, professor at the University of Padua; and Giulia Zompa, subject expert in the Department of Art History and Criticism at the University of Milan.
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| Luca Rossi Wins Art Verona's Sustainable Art Prize with His "Hidden Works" |
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