Rudolf Stingel's 'Fumier' Installation at Sant'Andrea de Scaphis

Rudolf Stingel presents a new installation titled 'Il gesto fumier' at the deconsecrated church of Sant'Andrea de Scaphis in Rome. The work, described as a spectacular manure pile, is displayed at the foot of the main altar, transforming the sacred space into a site of experimentation. Stingel's piece challenges notions of originality, authorship, and the ephemeral nature of art, directly engaging the public in the creation of meaning. The installation recalls radical gestures from the Arte Povera era, particularly Jannis Kounellis's horses at L'Attico gallery, but inverts them with a more conceptual, hyperrealist image rendered in near-gold tones. Stingel references Piero Manzoni's canned excrement and Bobby Sands's smeared feces, linking his work to a tradition of transgressive art. The critic compares the piece to Théodore Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa,' which was exhibited in London away from the market center, suggesting Stingel's work similarly critiques the art system. The installation is described as not consumable on Instagram, emphasizing its physical presence. The text quotes Fabrizio De André: 'from diamonds nothing is born, from manure flowers are born,' underscoring the transformative potential of the abject. Stingel's non-decorative painting renegotiates the role of art and the artist in a world dominated by artificiality.