Alex Dorici – "In attesa"

An artistic intervention and platform for cultural reflection conceived by the artist at the former AEM warehouses.

“In attesa” is Alex Dorici’s new site-specific exhibition, specially conceived and staged within the spaces of the former warehouses of the Massagno Electricity Company (AEM). This is a new exhibition project realised in a venue which, for the first time, is opening to the public as a space dedicated to artistic and cultural experimentation, foreshadowing its future role as a community hub.

More than just an exhibition, “In attesa” is an experience that invites visitors to reflect on the significance of places undergoing transformation and on the value of spaces in limbo, awaiting a new purpose. The former AEM depot thus takes centre stage in the project ahead of its refurbishment: not merely a container, but an integral part of the artwork itself. Through a single site-specific installation, spread across the two spaces, Alex Dorici establishes a dialogue with the architecture, the memory and the traces left by the building’s industrial past. With this project, Massagno Town Council aims to revitalise a temporarily disused building, transforming it into an open laboratory of culture and participation. The aim is not merely to offer the public an exhibition of contemporary art, but to breathe new life into a place through the convergence of art, architecture and the community.

The programme also includes a series of public events and in-depth discussions designed to turn the former AEM warehouses into a vibrant, shared space. These events will involve curators, academics and professionals, addressing themes related to urban regeneration, the temporary reuse of disused buildings, the cultural value of unused spaces and the role of contemporary art in venues not traditionally intended for exhibitions. In particular, there will be two round-table discussions – one on 17 September and one on 8 October, both at 6.30 pm – as wellas a guided tour with the artist on 3 October at 11.00 am and a closing event with a DJ set on 23 October, from 6.00 pm. The visitor experience thus extends beyond the mere contemplation of the artworks, becoming an opportunity for discussion and collective reflection on the future of spaces undergoing a phase of transformation.

Address

Former AEM Warehouses

Via Motta 65

6900 Massagno

Opening hours

September: Saturdays 19 and 26, 1.00 pm–5.00 pm

October: Fridays 2, 9, 16 and 23, 5.00 pm–8.00 pm

Events calendar

- Thu 17 Sep 26: 6:30 pm: round-table discussion ‘Caring for the place. Exhibition practices beyond institutional spaces’ with Luciano Fasciati and Noah Stolz, independent curators; moderated by Monica Bonetti, cultural journalist at RSI.

- Sat 26 Sep 26: 10:00 am opening of the Ippocastano Nursery School featuring a mural by Alex Dorici, followed by the opportunity to visit the exhibition “In attesa” at the former AEM warehouses (from 1:00 pm).

- Sat 3 Oct 26: 11:00 am guided tour with the artist; booking essential (cancelleria@massagno.ch).

- Thu 8 Oct 26: 6:30 pm round-table discussion ‘Spaces in Waiting. Memory, Reuse and New Cultural Practices’ with Valeria Frei, art and architecture historian; Elisa Volonterio, cultural economist, founder and director of the Frequenze Association; and Gaetano Castiello, architect and principal of Studio Urbane Landschaften GmbH in Basel, moderated by Monica Bonetti, cultural journalist at RSI.

- Fri 23 Oct 26: from 6:00 pm, closing event with a DJ set.