Reflections on the eternity of
beauty and impermanence of life, along with cheeky provocations,
are at the center of an exhibit in Florence showcasing some of
the most famous masterworks by Jeff Koons, the American artist
whose work is sold at stellar prices.
The show runs from September 26 until December 28.
The artist's unsettling art will be on display alongside
the timeless art of Michelangelo and Donatello - in an ideal
dialogue.
The artist's monumental interpretation of Gian Lorenzo
Bernini's Pluto and Proserpina will be on display at the
entrance of Palazzo Vecchio, an unprecedented event since Baccio
Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus was located to the right of the
building's entrance almost 500 years ago.
The show 'Jeff Koons in Florence' was organized by the
Florence-based cultural association Mus.e with the contribution
of the Chamber of Commerce, Moretti Fine Art and David Zwirner.
It will be a key event inaugurating the International
Antiques Biennial, which has reached its 29th edition.
Curated by Sergio Risaliti, the important initiative will
present in particular two works by the artist who is among the
protagonists of the contemporary art world, including the
three-meter-high sculpture in Piazza della Signoria.
The artwork in mirror-polished stainless steel, with
transparent colour coating and flowers, is inspired by Bernini's
Rape of Proserpina.
Palazzo Vecchio's Sala dei Gigli will showcase Gazing Ball
(Barberini Faun), a seductive and cheeky plaster statue made in
2013, part of a series.
In the Gazing ball series, the artist interprets a number
of famous sculptures from the Greek-Roman period, adding a light
blue mirrored ball in a position of precarious balance.
The ball is aimed at distracting the attention of those
admiring classic artwork, an image of pure perfection, bringing
them back to their individual reality reflected on the shiny
surface.
There is something pure, light and untouchable in the
sculpture but the viewer gets distracted by the blue sphere that
reflects images like a mirror.
The ancient sculpture revisited by Koons dates back to the
imperial period, probably inspired by a bronze from the late
Hellenistic age, which was found in Rome, in the moat around
Castel St Angelo, approximately in 1624 and became part of the
collection of Cardinal Francesco Barberini.
It was acquired by Germany at the beginning of the 19th
century, where it is today located at the Munich Glyptothek.
Renovated by Bernini's atelier, the marble statue is a
masterpiece of classicism which the American artist took as
symbol of absolute and provocative beauty, of strength and
power.
At the same time, the shining sphere in precarious balance
evokes the deep frailty of human existence.
The effect becomes even stronger besides Donatello's Judith
and Holofernes, almost a provocation to the biblical heroine
with her sensual pose and blatant nudity.
Pluto and Proserpina will instead be on display alongside
the Michelangiolesque masterpieces of Piazza della Signoria.
The two figures of Pluto and Proserpina, enveloped in a
dramatic and sensual embrace, will shine in daylight and will be
illuminated at night, in stark contrast with the marble and
bronze sculptures on Palazzo Vecchio's 'arengario', the
mezzanine in front of Palazzo Vecchio.
Koons's artwork will capture the public's attention while
the mirror-like surface will reflect the surroundings,
bedazzling the public.
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