From the design and production of the works to their installation in the spaces of the FNM Cadorna Station in Milan, students from the BA in Painting and Visual Arts and the MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies engaged with the theme of travel as an exceptional opportunity to learn about oneself and the surrounding environment, as well as a meaningful metaphor for educational processes.
The NABA and FNM Exhibition at Milano Cadorna Station
Guided by Andris Brinkmanis, Course Leader of the BA in Painting and Visual Arts and curator of the exhibition, and coordinated by NABA lecturer Nicolò Colciago and curator Letizia Mari, the students brought to life Travelling Gaze, a site-specific exhibition project born from the collaboration between NABA and FNM, the leading integrated group for sustainable mobility in Lombardy. Designed for the public spaces of Cadorna Station in Milan, the eight public artworks reinterpret the theme of travel and its centrality in people’s lives and communities.
Travelling Gaze. Art transforms stations into living spaces
Nothing, more than safe mobility, enables the discovery of oneself, the world, and others – whether near or far – with whom we build new relationships and weave fresh collective narratives. Contemporary art thus becomes both a moment and a means to reflect on the significance of travel, shifting perspectives from the ordinary to the extraordinary and inviting the public to pause and consider the value of movement and transportation.
The collaboration with NABA is part of a broader project that FNM and FERROVIENORD have been pursuing for several years, aimed at enhancing railway stations and, more widely, the historical and cultural heritage of the rail system. The goal is to transform transit spaces into places to be experienced – containers and activators of beauty and experiences – also through the presence of art and culture.
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Contact us hereNABA artists tell the story of travel
The Travelling Gaze exhibition explores the world of travel and interprets the connection between humans and their environment through a variety of artistic languages – from sculpture to video, from printmaking to installation and performance – to spark new possibilities for shared and collective reflection in a place of transit like Cadorna Station in Milan, where tens of thousands of people pass through every day.
Attracting the attention of travelers during the exhibition in the public spaces of the station were the eight artworks by NABA students (read the full news) – “Se chiudi gli occhi” by Davide Barberi, “S.E.T. Spazi Estendibili” by Edoardo Bonacina, “Spleeper’s Journey” by Simonpietro Clericetti, “Polifonia” by Nancy Priscilla Lucena Pinto, “É già cambiato tutto (come ho rotto il mare di porcellana)” by Cristina Malerba, “Otranto è vicino a Dubai” by Davide Militano, “Linea d’aria” by Caterina Perego, “A Train Of Thoughts” by Marina Rondon. These pieces opened dreamlike and imaginative pathways; narrated the railway space and imagined emotional maps connecting distant places. They welcomed nature into human-built environments and highlighted the need to move beyond passive observation in order to activate new perceptions and relationships between people and their surroundings.
Special thanks to MediaOne, technical sponsor of the exhibition.
