Curatorial review by our Resident Artist, Marco Bucchieri
27 February 2026
In the biographical notes on his website, Swapnil Patil rightly emphasises not only the multidisciplinary nature of his artistic practice, but also the depth and complexity of his vision. His work stands out for its exceptional quality and striking originality, seamlessly blending photography, video, sculpture, and public art interventions with a profound spiritual resonance. This distinctive approach consistently explores the ever-evolving relationship between environment and human presence.
The Empty Spaces: Glide, part of the broader Spatial Series, continues this investigation into the relationship between space, urban reality, and the limits of human perception. Renowned for its technical precision and innovative use of long-exposure techniques, the installation has been celebrated in several contexts in the United Kingdom and, in February of this year, at Museo Spazio Pubblico during Art City Bologna 2026, where it captivated audiences with its immersive and transformative power.
Through the nearly imperceptible movement of the camera, the work opens up an “other” space made of magnetic waves, fine patterns, and rippling forms that seem to emerge from a fluid, ever-shifting surface. This subtle yet masterful destabilisation of perception draws the viewer into a state of disorientation and immersion, where the image feels at once distant and present, uncertain and deeply engaging. What emerges is not only a visual experience, but also a sense of quiet suspension and inner calm—testament to Patil’s rare ability to evoke the ineffable through bold formal invention.
At Museo Spazio Pubblico, Patil’s singular vision was shown in dialogue with a physical installation by Italian artist Michele Liparesi: a miniature city assembled from recycled materials drawn from household appliances, electronic components, and metals. Once combined, these elements take the shape of an urban landscape that appears distant yet luminous, ideal yet silent. Placed beneath Patil’s moving images, this imagined city acquires rhythm and meaning, becoming part of a reflection on space as something in transformation rather than stability.
The encounter between the two works turned the exhibition space into a site of contemplation, where image and matter, movement and stillness, presence and absence converged in a shared exploration of becoming.
The Empty Spaces: Glide (background) and the Modular Urban Agglomeration (foreground).