Time's up
by Lucia Tognolli
Italy
About the Work
This textured painting on wood explores methane, climate change and the vulnerability of the Earth. In the lower section, a vibrant Earth is immersed in waves, with hidden methane reserves represented by luminous copper leaf. Subtle orange currents rise from these deposits, spreading almost invisibly through the composition. Above, blazing yellow, orange and red evoke accumulating methane, glowing embers and a smouldering fire surrounding the planet. Inspired by an exceptionally hot Italian summer, when the artist watched plants in their garden wither, the work connects personal experience with environmental crisis. While painting the upper section, the artist repeatedly listened to Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, whose restless energy echoed the work's mounting tension.
About the Artist
Lucia Tognolli
Italy
Born and raised in Emilia, Italy, Lucia grew up surrounded by a rich social and cultural environment that shaped her understanding of the world and her relationship with art. She currently works at the public library in Novellara, where she specialises in children's literature, readings and creative activities. Her relationship with art began in childhood through storytelling, theatre, drawing, music and painting, experiences shared with her parents and siblings. She studied Art History at the University of Parma while developing a parallel interest in ceramics. Her interests extend across music, visual arts, dialect and anthropology, alongside scientific and economic disciplines that she continues to explore through further study. Lucia is particularly interested in the ways artistic and analogue practices shape social life and reveal the cultural and social sensibilities of different places and periods.