150-93 by Edoardo dionea cicconI

A glass, metal, and light installation that explores concepts of space and time

Italian contemporary artist Edoardo Dionea Cicconi explores the concept of time as well as the fusion of art and science in sculptures and site-specific installations enriched with sound and other media. His latest work, the ‘150-93’ installation on the protected island of Favignana in Sicily, follows the same themes. The sculpture’s name refers to a specific number: the distance between the Earth and the Sun, or 150 million km / 93 million miles. A slightly shorter or longer distance would make life on Earth impossible, meaning that the exact number is crucial for the existence of all the planet’s inhabitants. The work also takes inspiration from the Northern Lights and explores the phenomenon of light refraction.

Created with a blend of glass and metal, 150-93 boasts a prism-shaped silhouette. The installation rises from the shores of the Favignana island and looks different depending on the time of day. From sunrise to early evening, the smooth glass surface reflects the surroundings; from the waves crashing on the beach to the rocky landscape and the orange hues of the setting sun. At dusk, the triangular sculptures starts to become translucent before it ultimately transforms into a transparent structure. At night, the installation comes to life in a new way, as lights illuminate it from within.

Blue and green hues delineate the edges of the monolith, making it look like a beacon on the island. However, like the number 150-93, these are not random colors. The artist coded real colors from the Northern Lights in order to create the aurora borealis inside the glass sculpture. Thanks to Jacopo Pizzicannella and PicNic Affair as well as the City of Favignana, hundreds of people had the opportunity to see the unveiling of the installation. Photographs © Edoardo Dionea Cicconi, Roberto Magnanini.