An immersive exhibition in Milan rethinks how objects carry meaning across time.
A Dialogue Across Time and Space
At Fondazione ICA Milano, The Second Shadow brings together Dozie Kanu and the late Marc Camille Chaimowicz in a two-room exhibition that moves away from traditional gallery formats. Curated by Rita Selvaggio, the show unfolds as a pair of distinct yet connected environments, where each artist’s work forms its own psychological landscape. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, the exhibition allows visitors to move between two different approaches to domestic space, atmosphere and meaning.
Objects as Carriers of Memory
Kanu’s installation functions like a living archive, combining his sculptural work with pieces from the Nicoletta Fiorucci Collection. Instead of treating the selection as a formal curatorial exercise, he approaches it more intuitively—choosing works that echo his own ideas around material, identity and domesticity. Found objects and repurposed materials play a central role, carrying traces of their previous lives while taking on new meaning within the gallery. The result is a space where objects feel less like static displays and more like active participants in a shared environment.
Rethinking Inheritance and Influence
At its core, the exhibition reflects on inheritance—not just in terms of objects, but knowledge, references and ways of seeing. Kanu frames influence as something fluid and evolving rather than fixed, describing it as a process of editing and reinterpretation over time. By placing his work in conversation with Chaimowicz and other artists, The Second Shadow becomes less about direct comparison and more about how ideas accumulate through proximity, creating a layered, emotional architecture that unfolds as visitors move through the space.
