Victor Man Retrospective at Museo Novecento, Florence: A Review of Enigma and Resistance
At Museo Novecento in Florence, a collection of twenty-five paintings by Victor Man, who hails from Cluj, Romania, and was born in 1974, is being showcased until March 7, 2027. Curated by Sergio Risaliti, this exhibition includes works created between 2008 and 2026. Reviewer Margherita Artoni explores whether the ambiguity in painting is essential or merely a stylistic choice. Notable pieces include Maternity with Legend (2024) and Maiden with Skull (2024). The series Luminary Petals on a Wet, Black Bough draws inspiration from art history, while Noapte Transfigurata (2020–2025) illustrates transformation amidst darkness. The review draws parallels between Man and artists Luc Tuymans and Marlene Dumas, highlighting the balance of mystery and clarity.
Key facts
- Victor Man was born in Cluj, Romania, in 1974.
- The exhibition at Museo Novecento in Florence features twenty-five paintings made between 2008 and 2026.
- It is curated by Sergio Risaliti and runs until March 7, 2027.
- The show is installed in rooms that preserve the memory of their former convent function.
- Maternity with Legend (2024) depicts a woman holding a child whose gray-green flesh and closed eyes suggest either sleep or death.
- Maiden with Skull (2024) reworks the vanitas tradition without moral lesson.
- The series Luminary Petals on a Wet, Black Bough references Sassetta, Giovanni di Pietro, Domenico Veneziano, Michelangelo, and Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
- Noapte Transfigurata (2020–2025) uses darkness with warm chromatic accents to suggest transformation.
- The review compares Man to Luc Tuymans, Marlene Dumas, and Giorgio de Chirico.
- Thomas McMullan and Alessandro Rabottini are cited in the review.
- The exhibition is at Museo Novecento, Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 10, Florence.
Entities
Artists
- Victor Man
- Sergio Risaliti
- Margherita Artoni
- Thomas McMullan
- Alessandro Rabottini
- Luc Tuymans
- Marlene Dumas
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Sassetta
- Giovanni di Pietro
- Domenico Veneziano
- Michelangelo
- Ambrogio Lorenzetti
- Enzo Cucchi
- CANEMORTO
- Simone Garofalo
- Ferdinando Sarmi
- Francisco Goya
- Giovanni Bellini
- Antonello da Messina
- Titian
- Fabio Mauri
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Marta Papini
- Jonathan Glazer
- Ernst Von Hussel
- Dayanita Singh
- Andrea Anastasio
- Luana Toniolo
- Diego Cibelli
- Adrian Ghenie
- Alessandra Borghese
- Fabio De Chirico
- Pier Paolo Pancotto
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi
- Alessandra d'Urso
- Nicolas Bourriaud
- Massimiliano Scuderi
- Eva Mattes
- Franco Mattes
- Agnes Questionmark
- Carola Bonfili
- Federica Di Pietrantonio
- Eva Gold
- Benni Bosetto
- Irene Fenara
- Viola Leddi
- Lorenza Longhi
- Bellini
- Ròzsa Victoria
- Ceausescu
Institutions
- Museo Novecento
- Artribune
- David Zwirner
- Galerie Max Hetzler
- Galleria Poggiali
- Palazzo Castri 1874
- Palazzo Strozzi
- Palazzo Pitti - Galleria del Costume
- The Nixon Collection
- David Zwirner Gallery
- Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
- Fondazione Stelline
- Villa Medici
- Sant'Andrea de Scaphis
- Venice Biennale
- Museo del Novecento
- Maxxi L'Aquila
- Accademia di Belle Arti de L'Aquila
- Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
- Archivio di Stato di Venezia
- Istituto Centrale per la Grafica
- Premio Michetti
- Spedale delle Leopoldine
Locations
- Cluj
- Romania
- Florence
- Italy
- Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 10
- Berlin
- Paris
- London
- Marfa
- Turin
- Milan
- Rome
- Venice
- L'Aquila
- Abruzzo
- Lazio
- Tuscany
- Appia Antica
- Francavilla al Mare
- Amazzonia
- Piazza di Santa Maria Novella