' +
'
4w6u1x
Key points 3n1h73
- "Thoughts in the Roots" is a major retrospective of Giuseppe Penone at the Serpentine South in London.
- Visible until September 7, 2025.
- The exhibition combines gallery sculptures and monumental outdoor works, exploring the profound connection between art and nature.
At London's Serpentine South, the exhibition "Thoughts in the Roots," on view until September 7, 2025, offers a rare and sensitive immersion into the world of Giuseppe Penone, a major figure in the Arte Povera movement. Through a constant dialogue between art and nature, this retrospective traces more than fifty years of creation, presenting works ranging from 1969 to the present day.
The exhibition blends interior space with the exterior. At the Serpentine Gallery, visitors discover sculptures in bronze, wood, and stone, where each material becomes a vehicle for memory and transformation. Iconic pieces like 12-Meter Tree reveal the silent growth contained within the heart of the wood, revealing the intimate story of a tree through its rings.
But it's especially outdoors that the exhibition takes on a special dimension. The Royal Parks are transformed into a veritable open-air museum. The monumental sculptures interact with the landscape, the trunks, the roots, and the paths, creating an immersive and sensory experience. Nature is no longer simply represented: it becomes an actor in the work, a co-creator alongside the artist.
Penone also presents his famous living sculptures, created in collaboration with time and growth. Young trees, shaped by metal structures, continue their development by integrating these imposed forms, illustrating the tension between human will and organic force.
"Thoughts in the Roots" is not just an exhibition: it is an invitation to experience the natural world differently, to understand art as an extension of the living. By blurring the lines between the artwork, the landscape, and the viewer, Giuseppe Penone reminds us that nature, too, is a sculptor.
FAQ 4on18
Where is the exhibition taking place?
At the Serpentine South Gallery, Royal Parks, London.
Until when can we visit it?
The exhibition is open until September 7, 2025.
What types of works are on display?
Sculptures in bronze, wood, stone, as well as outdoor installations in parks.
Is the exhibition suitable for all audiences?
Yes, it is aimed at a wide audience, curious to discover a poetic and immersive work around nature.
Nicolas Sarazin 
