If On a Winter’s Night, Exhibition Review

Where does the narrative begin when the meaning is left unspoken? If On a Winter’s Night, an open call group exhibition by Galleria Objets held on January 22nd, brings together diverse practices to explore subjective interpretation. The showcase focused on bringing light to artworks that portray unique perspectives on the relationship built between the viewer and the piece, inviting the attendees to explore the variety of connections they form or step into themselves.

The exhibition’s theme drives inspiration from the infamous If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, 1979 novel by Italo Calvino, a unique piece exploring the idea of breaking down the structure of reader isolation. In fact, this book masterfully repositions the reader as the centrepiece of experience; rather than the outsider looking in, you become the main character, or arguably pawn of the author. The author refuses the satisfaction of straightforward narrative and messaging, but rather holds up a mirror, bringing to the surface the analogies one constructs themselves. Instead of focusing on following a linear theme, the pillar of both the novel and exhibition becomes subjectivity of the participant, be that the reader or visitor. The curation of the exhibition explores the very notion of narrative building through open-ended storytelling.

Bringing it back to the very starting point of the adventure, as the traveler you are invited in through the well-lit entrance, a welcoming beginning designed to bring various dynamics of attendees to the same level. The next step of the experience is a metamorphic passage into the space, capturing the essence and intrigue of the journey into self-reflection. Finally, as you make it into the gallery’s main hall, you realise the space is a combination of both previous steps. Rather than being the comfort zone or the travel tunnel, it is a serene and enthralling space where your mind can’t help but hook onto assumptions. The diversity in mediums and the ambiguous nature of narrative quickly shifts focus from bigger picture to personal connection and self-reflection through pieces.

The restricted scale, tactile and light brushwork opens up an opportunity for almost physical closeness. Corresponding to the exhibition’s focal point of intuitive storytelling, the ambiguous narrative flourishes through sustained focus. Concurrently, Just The One Swan, Actually by Benjamin Moss contracts that tenderness with unpolished structure of welded bicycle and steel sculpture. Disrupting passive viewing, the piece confronts the spectator with a charged physical presence that both attracts and wards off engagement, leaving the spectator unable to step away.

Collectively, these works underline the exhibition’s shared motif of fluctuating connection between the artwork and the observer, where interpretation is an active and personal act.

This tug-of-war between distance and intimacy is exactly where the cultural and social perspective lies. In a time where curation and straightforwardness of the narrative is not only expected from art, but demanded, If on a Winter’s Night offers the visitor an opportunity to ground themselves and redirect the conversation to their own interpretation. The curation is not there to tell you what to think and how to feel, but rather to reflect on how we are used to consuming information, with the open call format reinforcing the mixture of voices of the same authority and importance. Uncomfortably for the modern consumer, the experience, theme and interpretation is left to the visitor in an era defined by simplicity and overstimulation. By positioning the viewer as an active participant, it acts as a reminder that the meaning isn’t fully formed without the willingness to engage, mirroring the messaging of Calvino’s original provocation.

Ultimately, If on a Winter’s Night relies on the trust in its audience. Instead of overexplaining, it offers a curation where ambiguity is celebrated. The focus shifts from the physicality of “what’s on the walls” to the internal process. An experience that embeds itself into the viewer, not as a demand to stay remembered, but rather as an opportunity for them to take something with. In the chaos of the new year and fresh beginnings, this feels as an unresistible invitation – to pause, to wander, and to bring the attention back to your own narrative.

Sincerely,

Galleria Objets.