Renaissance man: Jan Fabre’s sculptural dialogue with Florence
This summer and autumn, three impressive locations in Florence – steeped in history and prominent for their centuries-old fine art standings – will be temporarily redefined by the work of Jan Fabre.
In and around the former Medici strongholds of Forte di Belvedere, Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, Fabre builds a rapport with the strong political and religious symbols this cradle of the Renaissance is strewn with, reactivating them through his own work. 'I think I was invited because, to the organisers, I am a kind of contemporary Renaissance artist. I sculpt, I draw, I write, I do solo performances and direct a theatre company,' says Fabre.
Florence gladly reminds itself of its Renaissance spirit, and the relation between Fabre’s work and the historical artifacts is touching in its humanity and universalism. Amid the equestrian monuments on the Piazza della Signoria, Fabre’s Searching for Utopia – his own likeness perched upon a giant tortoise – emphasises the military bravado surrounding it. Next to Michelangelo’s David, The man who measures the clouds, speaks of a wholly different type of idealism.
At the Forte di Belvedere, Fabre's bronze Spiritual Guard sculptures look out over the Florentine valley from their lookout posts; while his iridescent scarab beetle pieces hold their own between the colourful frescoes of the Palazzo Vecchio – his sizeable Globe especially, a striking echo of historical cartography in the Medici Hall of Maps.
A new work performed live on the Piazza – a video of which is shown at the Forte di Belvedere – displayed a completely different idea, that of the artist-as-worm. 'If you remove a worm from the earth, the earth deteriorates,' Fabre explains. 'If you remove the artist from society, society deteriorates.'
Fabre’s work, in such an intimate relationship with Florence’s landmarks, is set to do the opposite.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Jan Fabre’s website
Photography courtesy Angelos Bvba
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Remembering Richard Serra (1938-2024), American art’s man of steel
American artist Richard Serra, whose vast sculptures transformed landscapes around the world, has died aged 85
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Architectural gardens around the world to soothe the soul
From small domestic gardens, to nature reserves, urban interventions and local parks, here are some of the finest green projects that place nature at their heart
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Corfu hotel Domes Miramare redefines beachfront bliss
Make like Jackie O at Corfu hotel Domes Miramare, a property with contemporary luxury and echoes of 1960s glamour in spades
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Peter Blake’s sculptures spark joy at Waddington Custot in London
‘Peter Blake: Sculpture and Other Matters’, at London's Waddington Custot, spans six decades of the artist's career
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Oozing, squidgy, erupting forms come alive at Hayward Gallery
‘When Forms Come Alive: Sixty Years of Restless Sculpture’ at Hayward Gallery, London, is a group show full of twists and turns
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Triennale Milano exhibition spotlights contemporary Italian art
The latest Triennale Milano exhibition, ‘Italian Painting Today’, is a showcase of artworks from the last three years
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Walls, Windows and Blood: Catherine Opie in Naples
Catherine Opie's new exhibition ‘Walls, Windows and Blood’ is now on view at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
New glass sculpture creates a verdant wonderland at Apple’s Cupertino HQ
‘Mirage’ at Apple Park is the work of Zeller & Moye and artist Katie Paterson, a shimmering array of glass columns that snakes through the grounds of the company’s monumental HQ
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Man Ray’s sculptures go on show in New York
‘Man Ray: Other Objects’ opens at Luxembourg + Co, New York, revealing their author’s ‘artistic revolution’
By Hannah Silver Published
-
The best London art exhibitions to see now
Your guide to the best London art exhibitions, as chosen by the Wallpaper* arts desk
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Erwin Wurm’s pop-coloured fantasy land at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
In Erwin Wurm’s first UK museum show, ‘Trap of the Truth’, the artist transforms Yorkshire Sculpture Park into a slightly warped wonderland (10 June 2023 – 28 April 2024)
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published