Best known for its collection of sculptures and artifacts dating back to the 1200s, the Bargello Museum is going in a new direction this summer with an unprecedented contemporary exhibition, displaying the work of late artist Adi Da Samraj.
Titled The Ascent of Orpheus: Between and Beyond Representation and Abstraction, the exhibition features a series of digitally created abstract artworks, re-imagining the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. To create his large-scale, highly geometric works, Da Samraj photographed bicycles hanging from different angles, rearranging pieces of the photos digitally. He then printed the pieces using a silkscreen technique. In the finished designs, blue represents Orpheus, red represents Eurydice, and white represents the light in the story.
Stuart Gibson, executive director of Da Plastique, the artist’s agency, called the setting ‘most appropriate,’ as Da Samraj viewed Florence as a center of creativity and innovation. Gibson remarked that while the Renaissance is known for introducing perspective in art, Da Samraj’s art represents the next step: moving beyond perspective.
‘[His art] both embodied the notion of perspective and transcended it,’ Gibson said.
Concurrently with the exhibition, the Florence Dance Festival will be running. The showcase will open with a multimedia performance on July 9, featuring the artist’s work as a backdrop. The Ascent of Orpheus will be on view until October 11.
The Ascent of OrpheusBargello MuseumVia del Proconsolo 4www.daplastique.com
