I Profili delle Anguane draws on the mountains and paths of Val di Sella to create two sculptural elements in painted local stone and coloured metal.
Opened on 24 October 2026 along the Malga Costa route at Arte Sella, the installation by Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects brings the profiles of Cima XII and Monte Fravort closer to visitors, inviting them to encounter the surrounding landscape at a different scale.
Each element is formed through the interplay of two lines: the outer silhouette of a mountain and the path that leads from the valley to its summit. Translated into stone and metal, these familiar contours become places to approach, walk around and sit beside.
From mountain profiles to sculptural forms
The project began with drawings and small models. Experiments with different materials explored the relationship between solid, carved profiles and lighter, interwoven structures. Local craftspeople then translated these studies into the full-scale stone and metal elements.
“I have always been fascinated by mountains… by their ability to be part of a whole while also having an individuality of their own, recognisable and capable of creating stories in our minds,” writes Benedetta Tagliabue.
At Arte Sella, this fascination becomes a collective endeavour to bring the mountains seen on the valley’s horizon into closer contact with those passing through it. The resulting forms retain the memory of their origins while acquiring an identity of their own.
Stone, metal and the colours of the valley
Carved from local stone, the bases anchor the installation to the valley’s geology. Above them rises a forest of slender metal blades in warm, muted autumn colours. The Cima XII volume combines brown, lagoon green and Mediterranean blue; Monte Fravort brings together gold, antique red and myrtle green. These distinct palettes absorb and reflect the colours of the surrounding landscape.
The contrast between heavy stone and light metal gives the work its character: grounded yet reaching towards the sky. Colour extends to the stone bases, inspired by paintings by local artists and the shades of the woods and mountains.
The two elements frame views of the landscape. Visitors can pause, sit on the remaining stone pieces and find shelter between the two sculptural presences. The space invites individual contemplation and shared moments, and can serve as a small open-air auditorium for groups to gather within the landscape.
The Anguane and the imagination of the mountains
The title refers to the anguane, mythological figures associated with the traditions of the Veneto and Valsugana. Often linked to caves, springs and mountain environments, these elusive beings inhabit the threshold between the familiar landscape and the imagination. Through this association, architecture, sculpture and landscape meet in an invitation to look again at the surrounding mountains.
Project credits
Principal architect: Benedetta Tagliabue
Project director: Valentina Noris
Design team: Giulia Pinato, Marco Barani, Leah Li, Giulia Martinelli
Model makers: Gabriele Rotelli, Hitoshi Takahashi
Area: 40 m²
First site visit: 14 September 2024
Project start: May 2025
Opening: 24 October 2026
Producers: Pedretti Graniti, Zintek, Revolti, Calchèra San Giorgio
Technical and scientific advisors: Marco Imperadori and Grazia Marrone, Politecnico di Milano – Dipartimento ABC
Construction credits: Daniele Pedretti (Pedretti Graniti), Gianni Schiavon (Zintek), Francesco Revolti (Revolti), Gianni Nerobutto and Anna Stefani (Calchèra San Giorgio), Luigi D’Anna (paintings for Calchèra San Giorgio)
Installation direction: Floriano Tomio (Arte Sella)
Communications: Rosa Zambelli (Arte Sella), Mariana Pimenta (EMBT Architects)
Photography: Giacomo Bianchi / Arte Sella
Drawings, models and collages: © EMBT Architects
