Light and shadow are mutually dependent, two sides of the same coin and symbolic of the dual world, which cannot exist without this duality. The good is in the bad and vice versa, the beautiful in the ugly, the ugly in the beautiful, male and female, hot and cold, the series of opposites could be continued.
It is the eternal yin and yang that determines our being and belongs to the universal laws. And so it depends on the perspective from which one looks, feels, thinks, loves and directs one's attention. Everybody knows the phenomenon: the ugly becomes beautiful if you only pay attention to it and the beautiful loses its shine the moment attention is withdrawn.
Light and shadow are not only part of the duality, but are able to set accents, to illuminate and to darken. Between these two poles are the shades of grey, the intermediate tones that connect what seems to be separate. They underline the contrasts, create harmonies and bring into "conversation" what appears to be polarised. They create attention, tension and insight.
The light inspires, is a sign of the divine, the shadow is the perpetual companion. The light is part of the divine act of creation and it is not for nothing that one speaks of a person "seeing the light of the world" at birth or being "brought into the light" in Italy and going back into the universal light at death. The shadow, on the other hand, is the second side that is always there, but not always visible and must be partially illuminated in order to trace it. This also and especially applies to the shadow of the soul. It is considered the "second self", which one cannot escape and with which one may confront oneself if one wants to grow. For the shadow accentuates and brings out what remains hidden in the bright light.
Light and shadow are not only of great importance philosophically and psychologically, but they are also an immanent part of artistic creation. Artists are masters of light and shadow, they know how to play with them and use them in a targeted way. They know the dialectical field of tension. Creativity and effect develop from this. Spaces are formed in the interplay of light and dark, depth and dimensions become visible, as does proximity.
Light and shadow also give nature and landscape their charm in the course of the seasons and times of day, playing with shapes, colours and dimensions. Famous for its extraordinary light, Tuscany embodies the ideal of a landscape and is synonymous with scenic harmony. There is hardly a stretch of land that compresses the longing for Italy as much as this region.