Il Vento, the Wind

I have known Giulia Cairone for a few years, both professionally and on a more personal level. We have both recently turned forty. As we try to pinpoint when and where our paths first crossed, we revisit a string of past exhibitions before concluding that it must have been during the pandemic. Hence the blur.

“Was it at Riche? When your cousin played at my opening?” she asks.

In fact, it was a few months earlier, in connection with a solo exhibition at Misshumasshu, the restaurant run by star-chef duo Adam & Albin. Giulia is one of those artists who always seems to have a show on somewhere. As a colleague recently remarked when her name came up in conversation, she is constantly exhibiting.

“I always have the itch to get my work out there. I want to seize every opportunity to exhibit and to experiment with new processes. Installation is a crucial part of my practice, so I need to test things in physical space. I initiate a lot of projects myself. I also have a very circular approach to my work: whatever I sell, I reinvest in my practice,” she tells me when I bring this up.

And it pays to be proactive. A previous exhibition in a small window-display gallery led to a major public commission at Sergels Torg, one of Stockholm’s most prominent public squares. The work now makes part of the permanent collection of Eskilstuna Art Museum.

The backdrop to our meeting is Galleri Våning 25, one of many new local initiatives carving out much-needed exhibition space for artists in the city through an artist-run approach. As its name suggests, the gallery is located on the 25th floor, offering panoramic views of the city. The elevator only goes to the 22nd floor, which in itself feels unusually high in a city not known for high-rises or skyscrapers. On the way up, Giulia jokes that she has already gotten her daily steps in for the week.

It is just a few hours before the opening, and like previous exhibitions I have seen at the space, Giulia has taken an immersive approach to Il Vento, Vinden (Italian and Swedish for "The Wind"), responding to the unique character of the gallery and its surroundings. The title derives from a poem by the late Italian writer Gianni Rodari, who wrote extensively for children.

Photo: Jan Görs

Although born in Stockholm, Giulia spent the first ten years of her life in Italy after her family relocated there shortly after her birth. Her father is Italian, and the language comes naturally to her. She has yet to exhibit in Italy, but one of her artistic ambitions is to spend time at Villa San Michele on Capri, the iconic villa renowned for its breathtaking views across the Bay of Naples.

At Galleri Våning 25, the space is clad in celeste - sky blue.

“From the beginning, when I started sketching, my idea was to dress the space. I wanted to create an inviting environment, a feeling of stepping into an artwork. Early on, I also knew I wanted to work with cardboard. The perspex tulip on the wall was one of the first elements I started from. I’ve also been influenced by an artwork downstairs, something that has lingered in the back of my mind throughout the process,” she says of her ideas for the exhibition.

There is a crafty, DIY quality to the installation that feels familiar from her previous exhibitions. As is often the case in Giulia’s work, colour plays a crucial role. Although initially trained as a photographer, she went on to study at Konstfack, where she completed her MFA. During the second half of her BFA, she discovered painting, which marked a shift in her practice. She first worked with latex before moving on to painting on perspex, a technique that has since become something of a signature in her work and is also present in the current exhibition. It only runs for only a long weekend, but a continuation is already in the making.

“It’s going to be outdoors, that’s all I can say for now,” she says.

And she feels compelled to continue working in the public realm, having caught the bug earlier this year, perhaps experimenting with materials such as bronze.

“Few countries have a tradition quite like Sweden’s. It’s a very generous approach to art, which speaks to me. It’s important that everyone gets to encounter art in their daily lives.”

Koshik Zaman

Giulia Cairone's Il Vento, Vinden runs through Sunday 14, 2026, at Galleri Våning 25, Stockholm.

All images courtesy of Giulia Cairone. Portrait by Jan Görs.