Disobedient in Milan: Elizabeth Xi Bauer’s No Hay Banda Exhibition | Bethany Watt
Elizabeth Xi Bauer Exhibition No Hay Banda at CFA Gallery, Milan
At the start of June, Disobedient was invited to Milan to review the Elizabeth Xi Bauer exhibition, No Hay Banda, hosted by the Contemporary Fine Arts (CFA) Organisation.
I had never been to the city before, as it happens, Milan has been an established hub for contemporary art since the early 1900’s. From the Italian Futurist movement being a landmark in early avant-garde in the 30’s, to the post-industrial regeneration where abandoned factories were re-purposed as galleries: contemporary art has left a mark on the city.
One example readers may recognise is the L.O.V.E sculpture, or Milan’s Middle Finger (II Dito). Created by Maurizio Cattelan in 2008, the over 30 feet tall marble sculpture is known as a symbol of the defiant spirit of the Milanese. Although there is no official sentiment behind it declared by the creator, the most popular interpretation is that it’s an anti-fascist protest. If you look closely, all fingers bar the middle have actually been severed; it doesn’t take much imagination to wonder what it may resemble, had the hand still possessed all five of its digits.
Maurizio Cattelan, L.O.V.E.
The morning began in the way it ought to in Italy, with a cappuccino in the sun. At a café called Sissi’s I met with Stefano Pirovano, one of the founders of the CFA. A journalist-turned-antique dealer-turned-art critic, it was fascinating to learn about each step in his career that led him to here, talking with me. His rich knowledge and passion for art were infectious.
We bonded over our similar missions of giving back to the community. The CFA hosts exhibitions all over the world, intending to provide accessibility to art, a goal that we aim for back home through Disobedient.
After being kindly given a mentally drawn roadmap of the art scene in his country, we finished our drinks and headed for the gallery.
Karoliina Hellberg, Conversation between oysters, lilacs and forget-me-nots, 2026
We turned down an unassuming (beautiful and grand, therefore unassuming in Milan) street and arrived at a stunning 19th-century complex. A water feature grounds the courtyard, and the CFA gallery was tucked away just to the right of it.
I asked Stefano for more details on what the CFA is: “It all started as a website founded in 2012 by Fabrizio Moretti (an antiques art dealer) and I. We wanted to bring back the antiques into contemporary discourse.
“And then in 2019, we decided to open a space, a physical space, that works in the format of a gallery residency programme. We invite foreign art galleries to have a show with us here in Milan in order to connect them with the local community.”
On the Elizabeth Xi Bauer Exhibition, Stefano said: “The gallery is based in London and the exhibition was curated by Maria do Carmo de Pontes, who was also a contributor to Conceptual Fine Arts as a writer.”
Petra Feriancová, 12 artworks from the Playgrounds Series, 1975 - 2011
“They decided to bring together three international artists plus one Italian under the title No Hay Banda.”
The exhibition hosts paintings, ceramics, and photography by the artists: Andria Brorari, Petra Vorenchova, Karolina Helberg, and Sofia Silva. No Hay Banda translates to There is No Band, the title is inspired by a scene in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive and introduces the theme of silence as a form of resistance.
All of the pieces offer an intimate and sometimes disturbing or warped insight into a personal kind of resistance only truly understood by the creator, yet felt by the viewer. Watch Stefano walk us through an example below:
One piece which stood out to me was Yupirungáwa by Vandria Borari. A collection of ceramic nuts displayed in soil on the ground of the gallery, the Amazonian artist is making a point of “origin” (of which the title translates) and a connection to the rainforest. The sculptures are large for a reason, to slow down time and allow a long look at the centre or heart of life.
Vandria Borari, Yupirungawa (Murici) 2026
Stefano mentioned that the centre of this exhibition is “to be human” and we discussed Yupirungáwa in many contexts, including artificial intelligence. The idea of a human made representation of the heart of nature and origin, forcing us to pay attention to what can be destroyed so quickly by AI, displayed in such a way I could trip and fall over if not paying attention. It was so powerful.
Vandria Borari, Yupirungawa (Murici) 2026
On the core message of the exhibition, silence as a form of resistance, Stefano said: “I would say art is always a space for freedom, for making people connect and to elaborate the idea of the present and of the future. It is a place for discussion, for negotiation, so definitely I think that [Disobedient] are in the right place.”
Disobedient are so grateful to Elizabeth Xi Bauer and to Conceptual Fine Arts for allowing us to view the No Hay Banda exhibition. This marks our first international visit, a special landmark in the history of the magazine.
The exhibition has now finished in Milan, but I highly recommend visiting the Elisabeth Xi Bauer gallery in London. If you are ever in Milan, wander over to the CFA, I am sure they will have just as interesting and emotive a collection on show whilst you are there.
