Fluid Structures

An exhibition dedicated to the dialogue between generations, artistic languages and life experiences, through the works of Alfred Thum and Johannes Thum.

With Fluid Structures, Area Arte Vallebona presents a retrospective dedicated to Alfred Thum, a German artist who spent the last thirty years of his life in Liguria, alongside a selection of works by his son Johannes Thum.

The exhibition brings together two artistic practices united by a constant interest in experimentation and the crossing of disciplines. Painting, photography, photo collage, sculpture and installation create a journey through memory, matter, movement and transformation.

The works on display highlight the deep artistic and human connection between the two artists, offering visitors an insight into the dialogue between experiences, generations and different cultures.

The exhibition is curated by the Sergio Gagliolo Archive.

From 6 to 28 June 2026

 Alfred Thum

Alfred Thum (1944–2025) was an artist, teacher, writer and cultural promoter. Born in Germany, after studying German literature he attended the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), developing a body of work that spans painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and, in his later years, digital photo collages.

In the 1990s he moved to Liguria, where he spent the last thirty years of his life while maintaining strong ties with the Italian and French cultural worlds. He taught German in several schools on the French Riviera, worked as an art critic and continued to pursue his artistic research.

Alongside his artistic activity, he cultivated a great passion for Argentine tango, becoming a well-known dancer and teacher in Italy and France. Throughout his career he exhibited in Germany and Italy, developing a personal artistic language characterised by continuous experimentation across techniques and disciplines.

 Johannes Thum

Johannes Thum was born in Berlin in 1989. He spent part of his childhood between Germany and Western Liguria, developing from an early age a strong connection with Italy and the artistic environment in which his family was immersed.

He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich (AdBK), where he earned his diploma and later a Master of Arts degree. His work focuses primarily on sculpture, installation and contemporary art, with particular attention to the relationship between space, matter and perception.

Since 2020 he has worked as an independent artist and has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Germany and abroad. His works often engage with architecture and the surrounding environment, exploring structures, forms and processes of transformation through contemporary materials and visual languages.