Losone City Council – Conceptual Installation

Quattro tele, quattro colori, quattro stagioni – il ritmo di un anno civico

This permanent installation by Paolo Grassi, located in the Losone City Council chamber, is part of the project From “0” to Infinity. It was donated by the artist to the Municipality on the occasion of his brother Daniele’s election as president of the City Council in November 2009—a civic role that represents the symbolic “first citizen” of Losone.

The work consists of four large canvases, each associated with one season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Together, they evoke the full annual cycle of 365 days, corresponding exactly to the duration of the council president’s mandate. Through four chromatic variations and a continuous numerical sequence, the installation reflects on civic time, institutional rhythm, and the principle of democratic rotation.

The panels stretch along the wall with silent rigor, transforming the chamber into a space of shared presence, memory, and reflection. It is a conceptual homage to public service, human dignity, and the passage of time—visible yet often unspoken.

Quest’opera permanente di Paolo Grassi, esposta nella sala del Consiglio comunale di Losone, fa parte del progetto From “0” to Infinity. È stata donata dall’artista al Comune in occasione dell’elezione del fratello Daniele a presidente del Consiglio comunale, avvenuta nel novembre del 2009—una carica civica che rappresenta simbolicamente il “primo cittadino” della comunità.

L’opera è composta da quattro grandi tele, ciascuna dedicata a una stagione: primavera, estate, autunno e inverno. Insieme evocano l’intero ciclo annuale di 365 giorni, corrispondente esattamente alla durata del mandato del presidente. Attraverso quattro variazioni cromatiche e una sequenza numerica ininterrotta, l’installazione riflette sul tempo civico, sul ritmo istituzionale e sul principio della rotazione democratica.

I pannelli si sviluppano lungo la parete con rigore silenzioso, trasformando lo spazio in un luogo di presenza, memoria e riflessione condivisa. Un omaggio concettuale al servizio pubblico, alla dignità umana e al passare del tempo—visibile, ma spesso non detto.

Ascona _ Venezia

Five numerical works donated to the cities of Ascona, Pavia, Cremona, Ferrara, and Venice
as part of a cultural project by Monte Verità

Year of creation: 2007
Medium and materials: Digital print on multilayer plexiglass, sequential numbers, mounted in display case
Dimensions (each panel):  Approx. 90 × 25 cm (horizontal format, framed)
Numerical elements:  Sequential numbers from 183 to 634

Places of installation/donation: Monte Verità Foundation, Ascona, City of Pavia, City of Cremona, City of Ferrara, City of Venice

Current status:  Works donated to public and institutional collections

Historical and critical notes:  The five panels form a single numerical wave, symbolically distributed along the cultural and fluvial route between Ascona and Venice.
The project accompanied the expedition “On the Wave of Utopia”, supported by the Monte Verità Foundation and joined by intellectuals, artists, and civic representatives.
In Venice, the work was officially presented by Paolo Grassi in the presence of philosopher and mayor Massimo Cacciari.

djAll works presented here are part of the artistic project From “0” to Infinity by Paolo Grassi, exploring the relationship between numbers, time, and transformation through conceptual art.

Tutte le opere presentate fanno parte del progetto artistico From “0” to Infinity di Paolo Grassi, che esplora il rapporto tra numeri, tempo e trasformazione attraverso l’arte concettuale.