Brussels – Museo Novecento is presenting the exhibition Landscape, Nature, and Rural Labour at the European Parliament in Brussels. Curated by Sergio Risaliti, the show features selected works from Museo Novecento and the Museo de’ Medici in Florence, alongside nine photographs by Dario Garofalo.

The exhibition reflects on Italy’s landscape through different historical periods, exploring the evolving relationship between nature, artistic expression, and rural life. By intertwining art and environment, it highlights agriculture—particularly viticulture—as a cornerstone of Italy’s cultural and visual identity.

“We wanted to emphasize the deep connection between art, landscape, and agriculture, a mutual bond characterized by beauty, harmony, and well-being,” said Sergio Risaliti, director of Museo Novecento. Samuele Lastrucci, director of Museo de’ Medici, added, “Presenting these works in Brussels brings the voice of a civilization that cultivated beauty in the fields to the heart of Europe. The Medici understood agriculture as a political and moral language, uniting art, science, and governance. The 1716 decree, the first in the world to protect wine by origin and quality, is a testament to this vision. Today, showcasing this legacy is both a privilege and a responsibility.”

Dario Garofalo’s photographic series Signs captures the spontaneous and poetic traces of time in rural spaces. Layers of natural yeast and bacteria on cellar walls form abstract, luminous compositions, with sunlight revealing golden and amber hues. Far from merely documentary, the work invites a reflective meditation on the generative power of nature, merging observation, transformation, and memory across time and place.