Curated by Pietro Monopoli, founder of Monopoli Gallery in Milan, the Castello Belgioioso exhibition marked the first collective display of the Gruppo Cosmo artists — a gathering of six painters, sculptors, and ceramicists working in dialogue across Milan's design district.
Held within the historic rooms of Castello Belgioioso in November 2025, the exhibition brought together Alessandro D'Aquila, Davide Baroggi, Francesco Demofetta, Waro, Matteo Mauro, and Daniel Pontoriero. The setting — a castle built in the 18th century — created a charged contrast with the contemporary work inside, asking each object to hold its own against centuries of stone and ornament.
For Daniel, this was an early opportunity to situate ceramic work within a broader international conversation — placing functional objects and sculptural vessels alongside painters and digital artists, and finding that clay needed no apology in the company.
