Behind the gigantic inflatable rocks that appeared in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna is Eness, an Australian studio founded by artist Nimrod Weis, internationally known for immersive installations that turn public space into a sensory experience. The arrival of Iwagumi-Dismisura in Italy stems from an invitation by Illumia and Bologna Festival, who chose this project as a “Christmas gift” to the city—bringing it for the first time into a Western historical setting and into one of Italy’s most symbolic places. From the very first images circulating online, however, the reaction was polarized: is it public art or mere visual provocation? An intervention that engages in dialogue with the city, or one that uses it as a simple backdrop? And above all: why here, in front of San Petronio, and why in a form so openly out of scale?
Additionally, on the Bologna Festival website there is a question box that reads, “What does IWAGUMI-Dismisura by Eness in Piazza Maggiore represent to you?” A way to engage the public and to go beyond what we usually understand as an installation.
The meaning of the installation is rooted in iwagumi, a traditional Japanese aesthetic practice based on the asymmetrical arrangement of rocks in a harmonious relationship with the surrounding environment and the changing light. Eness offers an urban, contemporary translation of it: 19 monumental boulders made of inflatable fabric, up to 14 meters tall, lit in color palettes inspired by the Dolomites and brought to life with natural soundscapes and musical compositions that react to the presence of the audience. The aim is to generate disorientation—a perceptual rupture that forces anyone crossing the square to renegotiate their relationship with space, scale, and the very idea of nature. In this sense, Iwagumi-Dismisura becomes a reflection on the imbalance between human beings and natural forces, and on the fragility of our urban certainties.
It is precisely this rupture that has sparked controversy. For many, the work seems indifferent to its context, accused of turning Piazza Maggiore into a mere scenic container and ignoring its historical and symbolic weight. The criticism swings between irony and outright rejection, but it converges on a central question: what remains beyond the wow effect and Instagram-friendly photogenic appeal? On the other side, supporters defend the right of public art to disrupt, to create friction, and not to chase approval. In the middle stands a city split down the line and forced to take a position. And it’s here that Iwagumi-Dismisura stops being just an installation and becomes a case—opening up a broader debate about the role of contemporary art in public space.
ph. courtesy Enrico Palman
