Titled after the poem Sii Dolce con me (Be sweet with me) by Italian poet Mariangela Gualtieri, this work draws on the poem’s invocation of tenderness – toward oneself, toward others, and toward the world we inhabit. Gualtieri’s verses remind us that fragility is not a weakness but a condition that calls for gentleness, attention, and care. The velvet textile presents thirteen species of flowers endemic to Italy, echoing urgent themes of ecological preservation. At a time of accelerating environmental transformation, the protection of endangered native species becomes inseparable from broader acts of care towards the human and the non-human alike. The fabric has been exposed to a corroding acid, a process that renders it partially transparent. This heightened delicacy demands careful handling, mirroring the vulnerability of natural ecosystems and the responsibility we bear toward them. Sii Dolce con Me stands as an ode to nature that embodies the fragility and uniqueness of being.
Elena Stylianou
curator, director of NiMAC
Installation view
Fluid Persistence, curated by Elena Stylianou, NiMAC
exhibition duration 12/12/2025-31/05/2026
studio shots
ph. Nicos Louca