In the area between Langhe vineyards and Monferrato, extending form the province of Asti and Alessandria, we can find a special itinerary: it is art mapping, a guide to site-specific and public art installations that have created an extended open-air museum along the years. In this area, an artistic path follows four polychromatic works by the artist David Tremlett: the Cappella del Barolo (Barolo Chapel) in La Morra (created in collaboration with American artist Sol LeWitt), the Open Space San Maurizio in the Relais of the same name which dates back to 1619 and is located in Santo Stefano Belbo, Per le Langhe (for the Langhe area) in the Oratory of San Michele in Serravalle Langhe and Chiesetta del Moscato (small church of the Moscato vineyards) which is the little church of the Beata Vergine del Carmine in Coazzolo. At sunset, poetic verses and notes of classical music resound in this corner of the Asti region from the nearby natural amphitheatre, a cosy green stage built without cement for concerts and shows. From the church, a sign indicates the panoramic viewpoint, where, at the end of the rows of vines, you can see the high coloured pencils by the artist Aldo Divano, instead of the traditional wooden poles. Aldo Divano is the author of a similar intervention also in the vineyards between San Rocco and Mombaruzzo. From the panoramic viewpoint of Bossolasco, the monumental 3-metre high aluminium angel created by Daniele Cazzato ideally watches over the valley, spreading its wings and embracing the world. In Castelnuovo Calcea, the Art Park of the La Court Estate is another example of landing art among the rows of Moscato and Barbera vineyards, three farmhouses and two hills: it’s an extended open-air museum with a view of Ugo Nespolo's Porta artistica sui vigneti (Artistic Gateway to the Vineyards) and Emanuele Luzzati's installations.
In the Asti area, the Quarelli Park in Roccaverano offers an incredible view of terraces and woods "inhabited"; by sculptures and large installations by well-known artists and young talents. In the beautiful village of Bubbio, the Mayer Sculpture Park is unique, created by the Swiss artist by inserting his works in a landscape setting of great impact. In the centre of Nizza Monferrato, the 18th-century Palazzo Crova houses Art'900, the collection of the most important modern and contemporary Italian works that belonged to Davide Lajolo, with the Association named after the writer and politician. In Mombercelli, the Musarmo, the Civic Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, is housed in the cells of the former prison.
In Mombarcaro, after restoring the ancient hamlet of Lunetta (17th century), among the chestnut woods, an oasis of art and culture has been created (Lunetta 11) with a small art gallery, some libraries and living spaces, as an artist's residence. In Migliandolo, a district of Portocomaro on the outskirts of Asti, the Tavola di Migliandolo (the table of Migliandolo) is a lively artistic residence based in Casa Nebiolo, built in the early 1900s. In Castellinaldo d'Alba, Saverio Todaro has worked on the disused Torre dell’Acqua (water tower): the three circles of the “Share” sign in phosphorescent paint are charged with light during the day and then light up in the night sky, recalling the connection between human beings and environment. In Guarene, in the eighteenth-century Palazzo Re, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo has taken its first steps. With the permanent installation Flat Earth Visa by the Canadian Paul Kneale, it has launched a new open-air project in the Nebbiolo vineyards. On the Busca hill, the La Gaia Estate opens one of the most eclectic collections in Europe to visitors, with over 2000 pieces from the 20th century to the present day. In Alba, history is grafted onto the contemporary art in the Choir of the Church of Maria Maddalena, a venue for international performances, whereas on a side door of the "Beppe Fenoglio" Study Centre, Neverwhere is Cosimo Veneziano's sculptural tribute to the utopias of the nomadic city created by Constant and Pinot Gallizio. In Monticello d'Alba, around one hundred bas-reliefs in reinforced concrete and enamel and that are 2 metres high make up Frammenti (Fragments), the monumental work by Valerio Berruti from Alba that covers the castle's boundary wall. In Novello, Swiss artist Olivier Mosset's Griglie d'oro (Golden Grids) gives a magical aura to the austere reinforced concrete structure of the Torre dell’Acqua (Water Tower) towering over the UNESCO hills. In the interactive spaces dedicated to the culture of wine, called “Wine Experience” in Priocca, Roberto Coda Zabetta has set up the gigantic canvas-installation CNTR (2020), which is 50 metres long and made up of thousands of vertical planks on which are fixed (only in the upper part) coloured strips of canvas, moved by the air like a monumental banner. Finally, the famous Panchine Giganti (Giant Benches), created by designer Chris Bangle, offer an unusual view of the sky, hills and villages of the Langa, Asti and Alessandria areas.
