On 28 September 2024, Associazione Arte Continua staged an entire day of contemporary art that winded its way through walks and installations, confirming its vocation as a catalysing agent of artistic interventions that dialogue with the territory. This event was part of the broader project Le Città del Futuro and found a privileged setting in the municipalities of Colle di Val d’Elsa, San Gimignano and Poggibonsi. The continuity between past and future, tradition and innovation, becames tangible here, manifesting itself through a series of projects that, over the years, have combined art, environmental sustainability and social commitment, with the awareness of building a narrative necessary for the generations to come. Associazione Arte Continua, which has always been devoted to the creation of symbolic bridges between communities and contemporary art, renews with this project its mission to transform public space into a permanent laboratory of culture and innovation. From the foundation of the UMoCA, the museum under the bridge of San Francesco, to the monumental installations that have enlivened squares and historical contexts in past Arte all’Arte projects and more, the Association has always aimed at redefining the concept of the museum, dilating its boundaries and bringing art to meet the vital tissues of cities.

Tobias Rehberger, “Nel Futuro acceso/spento”, installation view, UMoCA, 2024, courtesy the artist and Associazione Arte Continua, © photo Ela Bialkowska OKNO studio

This year, the project finds a new resonance with the exhibition by Tobias Rehberger – German artist born in 1966 – Nel futuro acceso/spento, celebrating the return of an artist from the international art community to Val d’Elsa, almost twenty-five years after his installation in Montevideo for the fourth edition of the Arte all’Arte project. Rehberger’s art, exhibited under the arches of the UMoCA, uses blown crystal – a material that is an identity for the Colle di Val d’Elsa community – to reflect on themes ranging from intergenerational dialogue to cultural heritage. This installation, which allows young people (in this case his children) to interact with the works through an app, fits perfectly into the spirit of the day, inviting the public to question the link between past and future and the legacy that contemporary society leaves to future generations. The continuity between Rehberger’s work and the objectives of Le Città del Futuro is not accidental: both initiatives move along the fine line between tradition and innovation, seeking to create a dialogue between local cultural heritage and the global challenges of the future.

Tobias Rehberger, “Nel Futuro acceso/spento”, exhibition view (third arch), UMoCA, 2024, courtesy the artist and Associazione Arte Continua, © photo Ela Bialkowska OKNO studio

Just as Rehberger’s art invites us to reflect on the idea of inheritance left by fathers to their children, so Associazione Arte Continua, with its programming and educational activities, is committed to passing on to the next generation the values of sustainability, participation and care for the cultural and natural heritage. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the day does not end with the artistic exhibition. There is an urgency linked to the financial support of Didattica dell’Arte, a project that intends to deeply root art education in the schools in Val d’Elsa. The invitation to contribute donations to support this initiative is not a marginal gesture, but an integral part of a vision that sees art as a tool to regenerate the social and environmental fabric. A recent example is the Arte per la Riforestazione project – in the municipality of Prato – which combines aesthetics and ecology and finds here its natural continuation, inviting the community to reflect on the importance of cultivating a future where art and nature are no longer separate entities.

Tobias Rehberger, “Nel Futuro acceso/spento”, exhibition view (first arch), UMoCA, 2024, courtesy the artist and Associazione Arte Continua, ©photo Ela Bialkowska OKNO studio

The entire day was thus intended to be not only a tribute to the beauty of contemporary art, but also a reflection on its capacity to generate a real, tangible impact on communities and their futures. Participating meant helping to ensure that new generations can live and breathe art that is not only contemplative, but deeply integrated into everyday life, capable of educating to sensitivity and care for the world around us. The future, the Arte Continua Association reminds us, is never taken for granted, but is the fruit of a shared and constant commitment, in which every gesture, every donation, represents a seed planted for the culture and environment of tomorrow. Until April 30, 2024, you can see the exhibition “Nel Futuro acceso/spento” in the arcades of the UMoCA in Colle Val D’Elsa. To learn more about the past, present and future projects of Associazione Arte Continua, also contributing to their cause, you can visit the website.

Info:

Le Città del Futuro – Tobias Rehberger “Nel Futuro acceso/spento”
Associazione Arte Continua
UMoCa
Via San Francesco, Colle Val D’Elsa (SI)
28/09/2024 – 30/04/2025
www.artecontinua.org

Andrea Guerrer

Actor and performer, he loves visual arts in all their manifestations.