Armando was in town. We were working together on our first exhibition. Armando Andrade Tudela is a cultured, funny and very interesting artist. We talk about architecture, sculpture, cinema, music and soccer! He’s one of those people with such a wide range of interests that when you want to amaze him you don’t know where to start. I wanted to show him something special about my city, something striking, in line with his sensibility and artistic research. His great interest in architecture meant that when he arrived, he was already prepared for the places to visit in Milan. But I was sure I had a special one on the back burner.

We walked through the center, always a bit chaotic. He was probably wondering why I was taking him to the commercial district of the city. But then I took him by the arm and led him into a small, almost invisible church, squeezed between the surrounding buildings. We entered the Church of Santa Maria in San Satiro. He looked around in absolute silence. I could see by his expression that he was wondering why I’d brought him there. Interesting yes, but what’s so special? He moved towards the apse. He looked straight at it from the front. Then he moved sideways and … Oh, what astonishment! It seemed extremely deep, and instead Bramante in his genius had managed in just 97 centimeters to create a perspective that simulated a depth of 9.7 meters. An invaluable example of stiacciato, an ancient technique taken from sculpture and transferred to architecture. A form of magic, perfect for a sculptor who loves architecture.