The Submerged and the Unexpected

On May 9, 2026, L2Arte Gallery will host an exceptionally unique event entitled "The Submerged and the Unexpected" featuring the presentation of works by internationally renowned artist Sara Montani. The evening, curated by Viola Moschettini, will feature the presentation of the artist's works, created following a personal trauma that saw her Milanese studio in Via Noto flooded as a result of the extreme weather events that have hit northern Italy in recent years.

"Il Sommerso e l'Inatteso" is an event that stands out for its ability to integrate Contemporary Art with awareness of climate change, transforming the gallery into the venue for a discussion that concerns each of us. An initiative that acts as a generational bridge, involving professionals from fields far removed from the creative world and involving the public firsthand, creating a unique opportunity for cultural exchange and mutual growth.

The solo exhibition The Submerged and the Unexpected was in fact created not only as an account of an event, but as a gesture of courage in recounting and addressing this tragic experience in the form of a participatory exhibition. Art, in this case, in fact stands as an educator and promoter of information, actively involving both the new generations and the public, within a personal experience that can be a warning to anyone. The treatment of the exhibition material arises as a narrative of the artist's personal experience, enriched, however, by the external point of view.

The collaborations see the contribution of exponents of different disciplines, in order to combine multiple points of view in the resolution of a problem that affects everyone.

Luca De Rossi, PhD Candidate in Food Microbiology, carried out a sampling of the molds that the action of water had created on the works and premises of the study, analyzing both their characterization and the environmental impact caused by them, and studying mitigation strategies that can be applied both in Sara Montani's study and at a generic level within the plurality of buildings.

Brizio Antonio Caiulo, Interior Designer and 3D Visual & Artist, has created a design for efficient furniture even within a space with restricted dimensions, divided into individual modules that, as happened in the famous game of Tetris, can be interlocked as needed, giving rise to additional forms as needed.

Finally, Mattia Bertolotti, Architect, has created an architectural design that takes off from the studio on Via Noto, assuming the affixing of a grid and platforms within the spaces, so as to equip the building for whatever metamorphosis is necessary due to future flooding.

The exhibition route will be divided into three distinct phases: Damage, Resilience and Evolution. Each is at the same time a phase of artistic externalization, but also of the soul. A positive invitation, introducing art as a form of reaction and rebirth to destruction, but above all, launching concrete tools to give life to a system that not only resists change, but embraces it to the point of becoming other than itself:

Damage pertains to the acceptance of trauma, highlighting what happened by means of some of the "surviving" works;
Resilience originates from the incipit of action. Thanks to the willingness to deal with the incident, a scientific investigation that narrates the change originates. In collaboration with Microbiologist Luca De Rossi, the artist is confronted with the new life created by water. The analysis of mold blooms on damaged materials becomes the first step in transfiguring what is commonly perceived as a sign of decay, into natural painting. The Gum Print technique restores to the image a material and pictorial density that recalls precisely the layering of dirty water due to flooding, ennobling it.
Evolution is finally the treatment of what was Unexpected. The works, created by means of the Ebru technique, celebrate the return to water as an instrument not only of life, but also of creativity.

The evening will, therefore, be an opportunity for a unique artistic experience, where art becomes a vehicle for knowledge and awareness, a moment of encounter between different cultures and sectors, and an opportunity to reflect on how sustainable practices can be integrated into daily life and the preservation of cultural and human heritage.

Evening Program:

17:30 - Presentation of the Exhibition Project with discussion with artist Sara Montani, curator Viola Moschettini, and link with Food Microbiologist Luca De Rossi

18:30 - Official opening of the exhibition and presentation of the layout by Dr. Viola Moschettini.

The works on display are by:

Sara Montani - Milanese artist, President of the Livia and Virgilio Montani Cultural Association and member of the Board of Directors of the Society for Fine Arts and Permanent Exhibition of Milan, whose works appear in public and private collections in Italy and abroad, explores the social and emotional dimension of human experience, investigating the boundary between presence and absence. His multidisciplinary practice ranges from painting to sculpture, photography to etching, cyanotype to installations and artist's books, favoring thematic projects. The use of heterogeneous materials enriches his expressiveness, transforming personal experience into complex visual narratives.

The event is sponsored by the Museo della Permanente in Milan.