Chiara Gambirasio. Chasing Rainbows

From September 10th to October 10th, 2026, BUILDING TERZO PIANO presents Chasing Rainbows, a solo exhibition by Chiara Gambirasio (Bergamo, 1996), curated by Giulia Bortoluzzi.

The main body of works on display consists of new artworks created by Gambirasio following her artist residency in Iceland (Herusið), which took place from February 26th to April 1st, 2026. Beginning as a “hunt for rainbows” and ephemeral atmospheric phenomena—capable of inspiring awe for their beauty and unpredictability—the artist’s expedition gradually evolved into a more intimate journey of exploration. From an investigation of extrinsic forms of interiorization, such as iridescence, to the practice of contemplation, and finally to the exploration of an intimate and personal space of light.

The experience of living surrounded by the white of the snow has, in fact, reversed the chase for the fleeting and ephemeral sign, inviting the artist to pause and delve into her own emotional depths. The time she would normally have spent waiting has thus been transformed into a generative time—a time of listening and observation, an active time of possibility and spontaneity.

This process of personal discovery and inner growth takes shape within the spaces of BUILDING TERZO PIANO through a journey mediated by Gambirasio across different phases and states of her own exploration of the absolute. The artist does not conceive of the gallery space as three-dimensional; rather, it is experienced in its fourth dimension as well: time. The works are thus arranged as cardinal points or points of reference within an ideal field of exploration. Their behavior and the way they present themselves to the visitor’s experience are, in fact, ever-changing: depending on the quality of the light, the temperature, or the movements generated around them, the sculptures that sprinkle the main “clearing” become tools through which to interpret and understand the space.

A heterogeneous group of previously unseen sculptures welcomes visitors into the “organized spectrum” created by Gambirasio, who serves as a guide through a meditative and profound transformation, accompanying them as they discover the relationships between the different elements on display.
The Mappe termocromiche (2026)—composed of modules made of inert material, coated with heat-sensitive pigments—appear as true bird’s-eye views, similar to maps that help one orient oneself in space and in meteorological time. The artwork Tronco di cielo (2026) also shares this same thermochromic nature, offering a portion of the sky viewed from an unusual perspective. Similarly, Nimbo (2021)—composed of seventeen triangles made of pigmented marmorino plaster, arranged on the wall in a radial pattern around a center of varying diameter—transforms with every movement of the gaze, just like a cloud in the sky. The sculptures Vulcanino lunare (2026) and Nuvola matrice (2026), made of plaster and photochromic pigments, change color in the presence of light and invite visitors to discover its most hidden aspects. Similarly, the artworks Cristallizzazioni (2026), suspended at various heights above the viewer’s sight, reflect the thermal qualities of the surrounding air through their colors.
While the first step of this journey unfolds in a clear, vivid, and authentic way, the path leads toward the intimacy and fragility of introspection, into a sort of primordial, contemplative cave. Meteopathhetic Paintings (2026) and Winter Drawings (2024)—displayed on the walls of the gallery’s third-floor niche—are embraced as if in an ancestral womb, allowing traces of an identity, a memory of a personal condition, and a quest for the deepest self to emerge. The artworks glow and illuminate the intimate space, conveying the emotional intensity of the creative process from which they originated.

With Chasing Rainbows, BUILDING TERZO PIANO hosts an ongoing journey of exploration that unfolds between two complementary polarities: from the open space of a larger, brighter area—where absolute lightness manifests as the breath of a rainbow—to a more intimate space, where one can immerse oneself to perceive intimacy as a vibrant refraction of darkness. Once completed, the journey can begin again where it started: in the light.