LUDOVICO TERSIGNI: LUZ – A JOURNEY TOWARDS REDEMPTION AT MIART GALLERY IN MILAN
Words + Interview by Anne Vierhout
When Ludovico Tersigni steps away from the screen and picks up the clay, he carries with him a conviction: that art is not an end in itself, but a vessel of transmission — a way to plant a seed that survives time. This belief shapes LUZ – A JOURNEY TOWARDS REDEMPTION, his first solo exhibition in Milan at MiArt Gallery, a body of sculptural works born from a reflection on memory, existence, and the human need to leave traces behind.
“There is a beautiful theme that is the non-lasting nature of life,” he says. “We have a certain amount of time, and that is what gives value to every experience. But we also have this goal of trying to give something to others — a sign of our journey in this life.”
In this new chapter, Tersigni channels the same curiosity that fuels his acting career, but directs it through material rather than performance. He speaks about the limits of any single language, and how sculpture expands his vocabulary. “There are people who like to see movies, people who like to see sculptures or paintings, people who like to read books,” he explains. “In different languages, we try to communicate. The more languages you try, the more people you can reach.”
Visitors sense this shift immediately. The works do not read as decorative objects or polished design pieces; they feel like the result of someone trying to understand the world through their hands. The exhibition avoids symmetry or a clear chronological structure. Instead, the sculptures are arranged to encourage slow looking and physical proximity. Each piece has enough space to assert its own character, and the absence of rigid display structures mirrors the way they were made — intuitively, with room for unpredictability.
One of the most striking aspects of ‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ is the transparency of its process. Tersigni openly describes how the first sculpture was shaped at night, almost in the dark, relying mostly on touch. “I did not want to see it then,” he says. “I wanted to wait for natural light, because natural light is very important to me. In the morning, it was like discovering a new shape in my house, and I had to accept it.” This approach carries through the entire exhibition: surfaces are not smoothed out, shapes are not standardized, and imperfections are left visible. Many pieces show sudden turns or irregularities where the clay behaved in ways the artist did not anticipate. This approach stands in contrast to Tersigni’s earlier work as a craftsman. He once spent two years building a guitar with extreme precision — a process where a millimeter could determine success or failure. Luz sits at the opposite end of that spectrum. “When you build a guitar, you cannot make mistakes. In sculpture, you are free to make mistakes, a mistake can even become your strength,” he explains.
A key idea woven into the exhibition is what Tersigni calls the “manual crisis”: the modern tendency to outsource everything that once required our own hands. He does not treat this as nostalgia but as a practical loss of personal connection. In ‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’, this idea appears both in the physicality of the sculptures — their clear evidence of touch — and in the way each object carries a sense of use, wear, or familiarity. They feel lived with, not formal.
“If you can fix something by yourself, if you can build something by yourself, that object becomes part of your journey and has value to you. It is completely different from things you just buy.”
Tersigni also reflects on the dual nature of the work itself. When asked whether Luz is something that protects him or challenges him, he says: “The luz is like a shield for the soul. It has double value — to protect something but at the same time to give it the possibility to be seen. These are the conditions for the birth of art: to be brave enough to let others see you, and at the same time hide what is most important and precious inside the artwork. It is a double effort but also a double result: protection and the possibility of communication.”
Each sculpture has its own form, weight, color tone, and presence. Visitors often find themselves drawn to a particular piece because something in its shape feels relatable, even if they cannot articulate why. Tersigni intentionally leaves that space open. Ultimately, ‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ presents the results of a meticulous, hands-on process guided by intuition, curiosity, and an openness to let mistakes shape the work. The exhibition feels direct, stripped-back, and confident. What lingers after visiting is not spectacle, but a sense of closeness — of witnessing someone exploring the possibilities of their own hands, and inviting others to engage with that process. ‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ functions as a shield, a conversation, and a space of reflection, offering both protection and exposure, for the artist and the audience alike.
‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ by Ludovico Tersigni is available for viewing and purchase at MiArt Gallery, Via Brera, 3, Milan, Italy
‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ by Ludovico Tersigni is available for viewing and purchase at MiArt Gallery, Via Brera, 3, Milan, Italy
‘Luz – a journey towards redemption’ by Ludovico Tersigni is available for viewing and purchase at MiArt Gallery, Via Brera, 3, Milan, Italy
Words by Anne Vierhout at MiArt Gallery in Milan
Special thanks IED – Istituto Europeo di Design + Ferrari Fashion School Milan
