Psychology

The $66 Million Sausage: Art, Irony, and a Dash of Common Sense

Gianni Sarcone

After the world lost its mind over a duct-taped banana selling for over $6 million, I present to you: the duct-taped Italian sausage. Stylishly Italian, delightfully produit du terroir, and—let’s be honest—way more practical. I’m aiming for at least $66 million at auction because, unlike a banana that turns into compost in a week, a fermented sausage can outlive your art collection.

Sure, the banana sparked debates and grabbed international headlines since its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. And hey, I’m all for a good debate—it keeps things interesting. But let’s be real: the world is full of rich fools willing to throw stupid money at stupid things just because everyone’s talking about them. So, here’s hoping my sausage can inspire the same level of ridiculous hype. Fingers crossed!

Paradossal… Mente!

Gianni Sarcone

Sabato 21 dicembre ti aspettiamo alla Mostra delle Illusioni di Genova per “Paradossal…mente“, il laboratorio interattivo sulla percezione visiva che ho ideato e che guiderò personalmente. Non mancare!


I partecipanti saranno attivamente coinvolti in esperienze che mettono alla prova le percezioni: scopriranno illusioni ottiche inedite, creeranno giochi percettivi sconcertanti e indagheranno vari paradossi e misteri della mente e del sistema visivo. Ogni esperienza invita a riflettere su come il cervello può “ingannarci” o lasciarsi influenzare da ciò che lo circonda

Durata del laboratorio: 1 ora circaIl Materiale per il laboratorio creativo sarà fornito direttamente dalla Mostra delle Illusioni.

🔹APPUNTAMENTI:
🔸1 TURNO ORE 14:30
🔸2 TURNO ORE 15:30
🔸3 TURNO ORE 16:30

🔹QUOTA LABORATORIO:
ADULTO (18+): 20€
BAMBINO (8-17): 15€

🔹QUOTA LABORATORIO + MOSTRA:
ADULTO (18+): 30€
BAMBINO (8-17): 25€

🤩 Portate con voi la vostra curiosità…al resto ci pensiamo noi!

📍 Dove
Magazzini del Cotone – Modulo 1, Porto Antico di Genova
✅ Prenota al numero: 389-5540263 oppure scrivi a: mostragenova@lamostradelleillusioni.com

A Reflection on Conspiracy Theories

Gianni Sarcone

The Tinfoil Hat Prank
Conspiracy theories have become a widespread phenomenon, as common in Russia as they are in the West. A recent incident in Russia’s Voronezh region exemplifies this trend, where teachers fell for a prank by Belarusian artist Vladislav Bokhan, who sent a fake memo instructing educators to wear tinfoil hats to shield themselves from NATO satellites. Photos of these teachers, wearing their homemade “protection,” quickly went viral, sparking both laughter and concern.

A Deeper Look at the Prank
Bokhan’s prank was more than a joke—it was a satire on the extremes some beliefs can reach. Pretending to be a government official, he gave detailed instructions for crafting what he called “Helmets of the Fatherland.” Some teachers, taking the memo seriously, followed the directions, highlighting how easily misinformation can find a foothold.

The Public Reacts
As these images spread online, reactions poured in. While many laughed, others were alarmed by the sight of educators buying into such an absurd directive. The prank underscores the ease with which misinformation can affect even those responsible for educating future generations.

A Widespread Phenomenon
Notably, this isn’t just a Russian issue—conspiracy theories thrive in the West too, where ideas about microchips in COVID vaccines, flat-earth theories, and chemtrails reveal a growing distrust of science and authority. Anti-Western sentiments, once rooted in ideologies like communism and fascism, have fueled a skepticism that now feeds conspiracy theories across Western societies. This event serves as a reminder of how, in an age marked by skepticism and division, certain narratives can take hold in surprising ways.

Illusive Concentric Circles

Gianni Sarcone

My op art piece Trinacria (1997) features three black-and-white zig-zagging shapes spiraling together to create the illusion of interwoven concentric circles. These jagged, repeating patterns add a sense of depth to the piece and produce a subtle rotating effect that seems to shift as you follow each line with your eyes.

Prints and canvases of Trinacria are available in my online gallery.

Below, an animated version enhances the effect. By focusing on the center, viewers can observe virtual circles appearing to move inward or outward, adding to the piece’s dynamic sense of rotation and depth.

The Impossible Absence

Gianni Sarcone

In this naturalistic painting, there is no human being. And yet… Even when a painting appears to be empty of human presence, there is the inescapable human presence of the one who painted it.
Your gaze on the painting merges with the artist’s gaze. You see, through the emotions and the eyes of the one who spent hours studying this landscape. Art is a gift, it’s a “present”—the word is well chosen.
The artist becomes disembodied, transcending the physical, to offer you a front-row seat on the stage of his creation, where you’re invited to immerse yourself in his illusory representation of the world.

Painting by Guo Xi

Two Mind-Bending Aquariums

Gianni Sarcone

At first glance, they seem to be the same, but take a closer look… Can you spot what’s wrong?

I’ve always been fascinated by impossible figures, which psychologists call “undecidable figures”, meaning visual representations that challenge our perception and understanding of reality. Since the late 1980s, I’ve continued to explore this field and create new illusions, producing a series of drawings that play with the third dimension, manipulating perspectives and proportions to create original visual effects.

My work draws inspiration from two masters of optical art and impossible objects: Josef Albers and Oscar Reutersvärd. Their innovations and creations have always inspired and motivated me to continue my research in this field.

Quando l’arte incontra la scienza: l’enigmatica Moona Lisa

Gianni Sarcone

Sono felice di condividere che la mia opera congiunta Moona Lisa, realizzata in collaborazione con l’astrofotografa Marcella Giulia Pace, è ora esposta presso il Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia dell’Università di Firenze. Potete scoprire di più su quest’opera qui: Moona Lisa – UniFi. Moona Lisa sarà inoltre parte della mostra permanente di Enlighting Mind, un’esposizione dedicata alla connessione tra arte e scienza.

Il prossimo 13 dicembre, Marcella terrà un seminario al dipartimento dal titolo preliminare “Moona Lisa e l’enigma della luna”, dove esplorerà il mistero e la bellezza della nostra opera attraverso la lente dell’astrofotografia.

Per chi fosse interessato ad acquistare l’opera sotto forma di stampa, potete farlo nella mia galleria online: Redbubble.

The Red Mesh Ruse

Gianni Sarcone

With Christmas around the corner, mandarins and oranges start popping up everywhere. In supermarkets, you’ll often find oranges wrapped in red mesh bags. But that choice isn’t just for looks—it’s a clever sales trick.

Why red mesh? It’s a simple way to make oranges seem more appealing to our eyes and brains, even if the fruit is a bit lackluster. Scientists have studied this phenomenon, which they call the “Confetti illusion.” Arriving fashionably late to the scene, they discovered the visual effect caused by the red mesh bag. They’ve given it the grand name “perceptual ripening of oranges,” but let’s be real—it’s just color assimilation doing the work.

Color assimilation is when different hues blend in our perception, changing how we see things. In this case, the red mesh combines with the actual color of the fruit (fig. A), making the oranges look brighter and more appealing (fig. B)—a little trick on the eyes.

Scientists recently confirmed what artists and salespeople have known for centuries: color assimilation can shape how we see things, especially in shopping. The illusion works because most people trust what they see without taking a closer look. But once out of the red mesh, the oranges often aren’t as shiny or ripe as they first appeared.

Curious to learn more about how color influences perception? Check out my color research and visual experiments on my Behance page.

The Mosaic of Equality

Gianni Sarcone

We are all equal, but not in the way we usually think. Imagine that we are made up of Legos, with each Lego representing a distinct experience, cultural background, or genetic component. Our entirety forms a colorful construction that reveals how we share certain Legos—in varying degrees—with others, shaping who we are. Indeed, we are “non-uniform units“, and it is in this mosaic that we find our equality.

mosaic corn

Stereotypes in Visual Perception

Gianni Sarcone


Our unconscious biases and stereotypes can influence our brain’s visual systems, leading us to perceive things and people in ways that align with these stereotypes.

Seeing nude women? Before assuming it’s pornography, reconsider… It’s fascinating how our minds are conditioned and stereotyped: in the first image, we instantly envision women in Adam and Eve attire, whereas the second presents a different reality.

©Gianni A. Sarcone
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