“I wanted the cultural centre and the museum in Esino to be places that speak and make people speak, ” says Paci Dalò. “Let’s go up in the half-light to find ourselves in a mysterious library. With a small flashlight in our hands we discover the cases of animals. A thin forest of sounds plunges us and the animals seem to be talking to us”, adds the artist.

The animal cases are part of the collection of the Grigne Museum in Esino Lario. They depict the flora and fauna of the area but also the history of a civic institution that has involved many volunteers in its creation, management and development. The Italian butterflies in the display cases belong to a collection created and donated to the museum by Dr. Paolo Boncompagni, who in this setting takes new life: Roberto Paci Dalò gives them back their voice through his permanent installation.

As anthropologist Roberta Bonetti explains, butterflies are a symbol present in many cultures of the world, they represent transformation, metamorphosis, but also the quality of an environment. Like ecological indicators, butterflies are only found where the air is clean, as in Esino Lario, always known as a place of care and stay particularly suitable for children.