The Fondazione Merz in Turin presents, from Wednesday, June 11th to Sunday, September 21st, 2025, the collective exhibition of the finalists of the fifth edition of the Mario Merz Prize, art sector, curated by Giulia Turconi. The protagonists of the exhibition are Elena Bellantoni (Rome, Italy, 1975), Mohamed Bourouissa (Blida Algeria, 1978), Anna Franceschini (Pavia, Italy, 1979), Voluspa Jarpa (Rancagua, Chile, 1971), and Agnes Questionmark (Rome, Italy, 1995).

The exhibition unfolds in a path that ranges among the different works presented by the five finalists, who stand out in artistic research and material choices, yet sharing some themes, such as attention to the body and important current social issues. The presented works offer an immersive experience for the visitor, who is invited to engage in search of their own interpretation of contemporary society, which for each artist focuses on a specific aspect and different nuance.

The exploration begins with the video installation by Elena Bellantoni, an important and significant reflection on popular uprisings, particularly in four countries connected by the breadline, the "street of bread" where this element takes on a social and cultural significance. In Agnes Questionmark's installation, the artist puts her body at stake, becoming a political vehicle challenging power dynamics within our current society. Voluspa Jarpa welcomes the audience to a synesthetic experience discovering the different elements that make up her work, where sight, along with hearing, evoke events and their reverberation between past, present, and future. Anna Franceschini returns to the image of the body represented as a machine, where movement is central yet connected to its cinematic nature, with the aim of confirming that cinema and its illusion can also be found elsewhere. Finally, Mohamed Bourouissa confirms the attention to the body and social themes as undisputed protagonists of the exhibition. In his video work, the artist explores the notion of control, the expropriation of the body, and power relationships within the state. This reflection is then materialized through cast aluminum sculptures where the traces and actions that the body undergoes are evoked, releasing long-held tension.