Whirls and Twirls 1

Looking up inside the Reading Room of the Biblioteca Panizzi is like stepping into a truly unexpected artistic experience.
Across the ceiling unfolds Whirls and Twirls 1, a monumental wall painting by American artist Sol LeWitt, created in 2004 especially for the city.
With its impressive scale (13.3 m x 4.6 m), the work wraps the space in a dynamic visual rhythm, transforming a place of study and quiet into an environment filled with contemporary energy and atmosphere.

The piece was executed by a team led by three of LeWitt’s assistants, together with nine young artists from Reggio Emilia, following the artist’s distinctive approach: art conceived as an idea and brought to life through a shared process.
Lines, curves, and colors intertwine in a continuous flow, creating a sense of movement, lightness, and vitality that accompanies both visitors and readers, inviting them to experience the space in a fresh and unexpected way.

Whirls and Twirls 1 was the first work created as part of the Invito a… project, conceived by artist Claudio Parmiggiani and promoted by the Municipality’s Department of Culture and the Musei Civici di Reggio Emilia, in collaboration with the Regione Emilia-Romagna and with the support of Max Mara.
The initiative has brought site-specific works by some of the most important figures in international contemporary art to the city, transforming historic spaces into places of dialogue between past and present.
Visiting Whirls and Twirls 1 means discovering how contemporary art can blend harmoniously into a public setting, enriching the everyday experience of those who pass through it.
It’s a work to take in slowly-letting yourself be guided by the movement and expressive power of color.