Sculpture Pulcinella and hearts in Piazza Municipio, author and meaning
The 9 October 2024, Napoli will see the inauguration of a new public work in Piazza Municipio. It's about a sculpture monumental, about 12 metres high, entitled “You are something big”, created by the famous designer Gaetano Pesce, as a tribute to the figure of Pulcinella. The work, accompanied by a Red heart, is part of the initiative “Contemporary Naples”, promoted by the Municipality of Naples and curated by Professor Vincenzo Trione. The sculpture will be visible until December 19, 2024, offering citizens and visitors an important opportunity for aesthetic and cultural reflection.
Pulcinella, the latest work by Gaetano Pesce
The new sculpture of Pulcinella represents a work of considerable importance in the career of Gaetano Pesce, the result of close collaboration with the Municipality of Naples and the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella. After his death, the mayor Gaetano Manfredi he committed himself to the completion of the project, to honor the special bond that the artist had with the city. The figure of Pulcinella, an icon of Neapolitan culture, perfectly reflects the poetics of Fish, who has always explored themes such as the female imperfection andautobiography. The statue, through its great attention to centrality of the body and its forms, underlines the importance of the human being, a key theme of Pesce's work.
The original plan was to place the sculpture on the Lungomare or in the Villa Comunale, but the final choice fell on Piazza Municipio, a symbolic place already familiar to Neapolitans, which had hosted the “Venus of the Rags” by Michelangelo Pistoletto. With this location, Napoli offers a new opportunity for interaction between contemporary art and public space.
Its meaning
The figure of Pulcinella is historically an iconic symbol of Neapolitan culture, representing the popular, ironic and resilient spirit of the city. With the work “You are something big”, Gaetano Pesce intends not only to celebrate local tradition, but also to exalt humanity in its entirety. The red heart that accompanies Pulcinella is an emblem of the love and passion that characterize the Neapolitan people. Fish he wanted to underline the importance of theimperfection and diversity as constitutive elements of human beauty, creating a work that communicates directly to the hearts of observers. The sculpture represents an invitation to reflect on fragility greatness of the human being, central themes in Pesce's artistic production.
The presence of Pulcinella, an ironic and melancholic figure, also highlights the fundamental role of the in representing the contradictions of life, highlighting the complexity of the human soul. The work thus becomes a vehicle for narrating Neapolitan identity, a manifestation of art's ability to address and narrate the duality and tensions inherent in existence.
When will it arrive and how long will it stay in Naples?
The sculpture of Pulcinella will be inaugurated on October 9, 2024 and will remain on display in Piazza Municipio until December 19, 2024. This exhibition period will offer citizens and tourists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the artistic universe of Gaetano Pesce and to understand the cultural value of a work that celebrates Neapolitan identity. Napoli, with its rich artistic and cultural tradition, lends itself as an ideal setting for an artistic achievement of this magnitude. The initiative aims to bring thecontemporary art in the heart of the city, allowing for democratic and barrier-free use.
Piazza Municipio, with its central position and its symbolic role, represents the perfect context to host Pulcinella and the message that the work intends to convey. The choice of the duration of the exhibition aims to encourage a constant dialogue between the work and the public, encouraging active participation and collective reflection on the meaning of art in everyday life. The interaction between public space and artistic creation thus becomes a valuable experience that involves the social fabric of the city.
The “Contemporary Naples” project
The sculpture of Pulcinella it is part of a larger project called “Contemporary Naples”, an initiative aimed at bringing art installations in the main public places of the city. The project, curated by Professor Vincent Trione and promoted by the Municipality of Napoli, aims to enhance the heritage cultural e artistic citizen. Other installations include thelighting of the Colonnade of the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, curated by the director Paolo Sorrentino, and the sculpture “Crocodile Tears” di Francesco Vezoli, exposed to the Maschio Angioino.
Contemporary Naples aims to transform the city into an open-air museum, where art merges with the urban landscape and becomes accessible to all. The presence of these installations helps to reaffirm Napoli as a point of reference for thecontemporary art, enriching the urban context with works that intertwine seeds e innovation. The initiative aims to stimulate a dialogue between past and present, offering an innovative perspective on Neapolitan culture and inviting both citizens and visitors to reflect on the value of art as a tool for growth and collective awareness.