In early September 2023 artist Chiara Bettazzi spent a week at Villa Arnica as Artist in Residence.

Bettazzi primarily works with installations and photography and has exhibited her work in numerous shows, including at the Galleria Nazionale in Rome. During her stay at Villa Arnica, she drew inspiration from the Villas atmosphere and its expansive garden, focusing particularly on the coexistence of natural elements with everyday objects. Her photographs are thus closely tied to the location, depicting still lifes created through the combination and rearrangement of objects from the villa and garden. For example, Bettazzi arranged furniture pieces with branches, leaves, and flowers, showcasing them in the beds of the Arnica Acker.

Natural light, with its unique radiance and aesthetic, is of paramount importance to the artist. She has set up her studio in a former textile factory with a large skylight in Prato, Tuscany, where she has now lived and worked for 20 years. This space allows her to exist in symbiosis with the industrial heritage of Prato, the Tuscan light, and an atmosphere that teeters between decline and renewal.

Surrounded by the majestic mountains, she created an artwork in the garden which is on display at Villa Arnica.