As half of Italy heads back into lockdown, the French artist JR has unveiled a major installation on the façade of the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence that stresses the importance of maintaining access to culture during the public health crisis.
The 91-foot spectacle, titled “La Ferita” or “The Wound”, scales the Palazzo’s Renaissance façade and simulates a giant gaping hole in the front of the building. Inside the architectural tear is an imagined vision of the Palazzo’s interior, made real by a black and white photographic collage. The museum’s director, Arturo Galansino, says that the symbolic wound references the suffering of cultural institutions that have been forced to close or otherwise restrict access to their collections.
“What all these lockdowns have shown us very clearly is that people are hungry for culture. They want to access exhibitions, museums, libraries, theaters, cinemas, to have culture back as a fundamental part of their lives,” Galansino tells Artnet News. “We want this work to be seen as an invitation to rediscover a direct relationship with art and to explore new forms of sharing and participation—a call to action for art and culture in this difficult moment.”
JR began his career at age 13 as a graffiti artist in France. His work, which has been exhibited on staircases, train carriages and even atop the Louvre, is a fusion of street art and photography. In his 2015 book “Can art change the world?” JR writes, “Images are not special. It is what you do with them.” JR’s readiness to place context above content has brought him international acclaim.
The illusory gash across Palazzo Strozzi symbolizes the wound all cultural sites have sustained due to ongoing pandemic restrictions. The art industry has been devastated by the ongoing shutdown of museums, galleries, libraries, theaters and cinemas — with even the most revered institutions struggling to get back on their feet. “(“La Ferita”) makes visible the deep impact of Covid-19 on culture,” says JR.
With the intention to support the creation and promotion of contemporary art in Italy, the installation also launches the Palazzo Strozzi’s new Future Art Programme. The director hope to be able to reopen the museum’s doors as soon as possible. In the meantime, Galansino speaks of a quiet city that has been denuded of the domestic and international tourists that are usually part of the fabric of daily life. “The beauty of our city is an important legacy which must be experienced and activated by the people,” he says, adding that the successive shutdowns have damaged “not only the economy of our territory but also our identity and our lifestyle.”
“Florence is an extraordinary city and no lockdown can change that,” he stresses. “But we need clarity on the future to be able to properly move forward and develop plans to work with artists, cooperate with cultural partners, and fundraise in the most effective way.”