Gianluca Pacchioni
Girasole Pietre Naturali

For Doppia Firma 2023, Fondazione Cologni invited Gianluca Pacchioni, the Milan - based master specialized in stone and metal sculpture, to create the monumental site-specific sculpture entitled TIME. The work was created in collaboration with Verona-based artisan business Girasole Pietre Naturali, run by Enrico Barbessi and Pierangelo Zantedeschi. The company is at the cutting-edge of experimentation and craftsmanship when it comes to stone, with expertise which harnesses the traditional heritage of the local area. In these premises, the artist and artisan - a demiurge in the fashion of a true renaissance man – has managed to convey the force and intensity of creative action with the sculptural power which defines all his works.

A force that is unleashed when art and inspiration, talent and originality all come together under the banner of exceptional artistic and technical know-how.  The astonishing block of green, pink and light-blue onyx weighing no less than five tonnes reached Milan from the Middle East following a long and intense journey. Only the most skilled professionals can source and work with difficult materials of such priceless beauty. “I’ve encountered a rare form of creative and professional energy with Girasole, from sourcing materials in the most far-flung corners of the globe to finding solutions for the trickiest parts of the production process. Our relationship is based on overcoming limits and on seeking out the truly unique.”