Francis Offman: "Pietre di pane. Memorie di geografie fragili" at Galleria Civica di Trento, Trento

From the 17th of July until the 15th of November 2026

Pietre di pane (Stones of Bread) reaffirms the Museum’s commitment to highland territories—landscapes often defined by processes of extraction and depopulation. This focus finds its theoretical grounding in the work of anthropologist Vito Teti. Far from suggesting a state of inertia, his concept of restanza (the act of staying) is reinterpreted here as a conscious choice to inhabit places marked by historical fractures or marginalization. It serves as an invitation to remain present within the problem, rejecting any flight toward easy, consolatory solutions.

Interweaving works from the Mart’s permanent collections with site-specific interventions, public art, and off-site activities, the exhibition unfolds as a constellation of "villages." These clusters of partial memories and silent architectures are organized around different fields of intensity. The itinerary moves through Latencies, where remains and apparent absences are brought to the surface; Frictions, marked by incomplete archives, conflicts, and unresolved histories; Drifts, shaped by migrations and territorial discontinuities; and Reactivations, where performative practices connect historical traces with the physical presence of the visitor.

In these liminal spaces, the exhibition opens a threshold of inquiry, revealing that even what appears inert—a stone, an abandoned place—can harbor something organic and leavening. It asks a profound question: what bread does every stone carry within itself? Developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Trento, the exhibition is enriched by the contributions of authoritative scientific partners, including the Trento Film Festival, Arte Sella, Fondazione Franco Demarchi and STEP (School for the Governance of the Territory and Landscape), and the Fondazione Stava 1985. The project is accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue gathering a series of critical essays, including a featured text by Vito Teti himself.