I Filosofi by Hilario Isola

The Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Nairobi presents I Filosofi, an exhibition by the Italian artist Hilario Isola. It is a gallery of faces from the history of thought: each philosopher is a tiny sculpture made on the head of a nail, at the very edge of what the eye can see.

The series grew out of a reflection on the idea of the individual. Hung together, the near-invisible portraits make what the institute calls an 'impossible symposium', a gallery without paintings.

For the Kenyan showing, Isola has made a new work dedicated to Mĩcere Mũgo, the Kenyan writer, poet, playwright and scholar, which sits in dialogue with the original series. Entry is free; the show is open daily from noon to 5pm until 18 October.