From May 21 to July 20, 2025, the Reggia di Caserta hosts the exhibition Abisso, a site-specific project by Per Barclay curated by Marina Guida.

A powerful visual and symbolic exploration, capable of subverting the historical imagery of the site and leading the viewer to a place suspended between attraction and unease, will await the public in the Court Theater of the Museum of the Ministry of Culture.

The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Galleria Giorgio Persano in Turin, was selected by the Museum's Scientific Committee through the participatory enhancement call for the first semester of 2025 at the Reggia di Caserta. The call is a tool for sharing, experimentation, creation, and innovation of cultural content. Research institutes, universities, training centers, cultural operators, cooperatives, foundations, voluntary and social promotion associations, groups of associations, and other non-profit entities have the opportunity to submit proposals involving cultural fruition activities and physical or virtual enhancement of heritage, moments of aggregation, use of artistic and creative expressions within the royal palace, in the Park or at the Carolino Aqueduct.

Barclay transforms the eighteenth-century Theater of the Reggia di Caserta into a reflective abyss, filling the floor with a black fluid similar to oil. This smooth, reflective, and at the same time dark surface radically alters the perception of space, immersing visitors in a world of enigmatic reflections. The installation addresses deep and contemporary themes, such as oil extraction and industry, evoking a philosophical dimension: oil becomes a metaphor for the subconscious, mystery, and inner darkness, reflecting the theatrical environment as a dark "double" of reality.

With Abisso, Per Barclay addresses the ambivalent power of hydrocarbons, a raw material that has shaped the destiny of humanity, generating wealth and destruction, progress and tragedy. Black gold, violently extracted from the bowels of the Earth, has invaded every aspect of our existence, marking the course of wars and irreversibly altering the natural and social landscape.