Wood in Fabula, in Palazzolo the forest becomes contemporary art

In Palazzolo sull’Oglio (Brescia), the exhibition Legno in Fabula has recently opened. Go to the woods, go!, set up in the historic spaces of Rocha Magna, the town’s castle, from April 18 to June 7, 2026. The initiative is one of the central events of The Wonders of the River Land 2026, the tourism and experiential program that aims to enhance the area through major cultural events. Promoted by the administration led by Mayor Gianmarco Cossandi, in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Planning, the LovOglio association and the Palazzolese Cultural Artistic Center, the exhibition presents itself as one of the most significant events in the local art scene, supported by the patronage of the Lombardy Region and the Province of Brescia. The exhibition also takes on a celebratory value, coinciding with 40 years of activity of the Centro Artistico Culturale Palazzolese, founded in 1986. Parallel to the main exhibition, the association’s headquarters adjacent to the castle is hosting a documentary review that traces the group’s history, recognizing its role in promoting art and building the community’s cultural identity.

The exhibition project proposes an immersion in the symbolism of wood, understood as aliving and narrative material. The itinerary is developed through a structure reminiscent of that of a fairy tale, articulating into different thematic sections that guide the visitor on a progressive and evocative journey. From the introductory dimension of “Once upon a time,” we pass through the denser and more engaging phase of “In the woods,” to “The return,” and finally to “Visions,” a concluding space dedicated to future perspectives on the relationship between man and the environment. The installation, housed in the rooms of the former Garrison of the Castle, is conceived as an experience capable of transforming itself into a sensory journey capable of evoking deep and archetypal suggestions. Wood thus becomes a symbolic element that connects nature, memory and imagination, offering a universal key to interpretation.

The exhibition features the participation of several artists of national and international prominence: Pietro Arnoldi, Daniele Arosio, Sergio Battarola, Cesare Benaglia, Daniele Boi, Luigi Briselli, Mario Ceroli, Giorgio Conta, Livio Conta, Giancarlo Defendi, Fabiano De Martin Topranin, Aron Demetz, Ferdinando Ferrario Freres, Giuliano Giuliani, Gianni Grimaldi, Marcello Guasti, Felice Labianca, Giuliano Mauri, Alberto Meli, Marco Pedrali, Nicola Pedrali, Andrea Previtali, Giuseppe Rivadossi, Andreas Senoner, Adolf Vallazza, Willy Verginer, and Bruno Walpoth.

With this initiative, the municipality and the cultural entities involved are continuing a strategic path of enhancement of the Castle, which began after the restoration of the exhibition spaces. The goal is to consolidate the role of Palazzolo sull’Oglio as a center of reference for contemporary art, giving continuity to a program that in recent years has already achieved significant feedback. In fact, the previous exhibitions “Animalia” in 2024 and “Quantum” in 2025 were widely attended by the public, confirming the effectiveness of the cultural planning put in place.

The collective that conceived and implemented the exhibition is composed of figures from different but complementary fields: mayor Gianmarco Cossandi, medieval historian; Marina Bertoli, councillor for Cultural Planning; Laura Dossi, president of LovOglio and visual designer; Massimo Rossi, vice president of LovOglio and professor of philosophy; Piero Raccagni, vice president of the Centro Artistico Culturale Palazzolese and artist; and Bruno Fogliata, CACP councilor and artist.

The exhibition will remain open to the public with free admission until Sunday, June 7. Hours include openings on Friday evenings from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sundays both in the morning, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and in the afternoon from 3 to 7 p.m. Special openings are also planned for May 1, May 14, the day dedicated to St. Fidelis, the city’s patron saint, and June 2.

The project was made possible thanks to the contribution of numerous private supporters, including companies, foundations and associations in the area. Alongside the main sponsors, there are also collaborations with cultural institutions and entities operating in the arts, as well as the direct involvement of local entities such as the Lanfranchi Civic Library, Civil Defense and the Palazzolo Photographic Circle. A significant role is also played by the students of the Cristoforo Marzoli Higher Education Institute of Palazzolo sull’Oglio, who participate in the project through a training course, providing support to the activities of guarding and accompanying visitors during the exhibition openings.

With “Legno in Fabula,” Palazzolo sull’Oglio thus strengthens its cultural identity through a project that combines contemporary art, heritage enhancement and community involvement, offering an experience capable of combining aesthetic dimension and reflection on the relationship between man and nature.

Statements

“As an administration we believe that culture is a common good capable of generating relationships and strengthening the sense of belonging,” says Cultural Planning Councillor Marina Bertoli. "Legno in Fabula brings institutions, individuals, associations, artists and citizens into dialogue, offering through art an open space of knowledge and participation. We invite the public to enter and embark on this journey."

“It is a great pleasure to host this exhibition in the Castle of Palazzolo sull’Oglio, a particularly meaningful place for me, donated by my family to the community in 1992,” adds Nicola Küpfer, president of CACP. “Today, thanks to the City Council’s enhancement work, this space continues to live on through cultural initiatives, returning the Castle to the full life of the city.”

“Since 1986, CACP has promoted more than one hundred and fifty events, thanks to the efforts of many people who have contributed to this journey,” recall Piero Raccagni and Bruno Fogliata, CACP vice president and board member. “We are also celebrating the association’s fortieth through this major exhibition and inviting people to come and learn about our shared history with the City.”

“The works stand like trees,” explains Laura Dossi, president of LovOglio. “They don’t ask for a voice. It is we, human beings, who invent stories, exhibitions and tribulations in order to be in the world. Then the words give way. They fall. The silence remains. The woods remain. And there, alone, perhaps meaning happens.”

"Even before being an exhibition, Legno in Fabula is a story rooted in the original relationship between art, life and matter," concludes Massimo Rossi, vice president of LovOglio. “Wood, with its transformation and fragility, becomes a privileged element to reflect on existence, proposing a reinterpretation of sculpture as a space of awareness and continuity.”

Wood in Fabula, in Palazzolo the forest becomes contemporary art

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