Achille Lauro reenacts Michelangelo's Pietà for tour announcement

Italian rapper Achille Lauro (born Lauro De Marinis, Verona, 1990) has sparked controversy by reenacting Michelangelo's Pietà in a video posted on Instagram on February 20, 2020. The teaser announces his upcoming tour 'Achille Idol – Immortale,' with dates and cities revealed on February 21. In the video, Lauro portrays the dead Christ, while dancer Elena D'Amario plays the Virgin Mary. The rapper's body is covered in tattoos, his hair is punk-styled, and a wolf appears beside him—an element absent from the original sculpture. The video is accompanied by a lengthy post about rebirth and new identity. This follows his performances at the 2020 Sanremo Festival, where he appeared as four historical figures (Giotto's St. Francis, David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, Marchesa Luisa Casati Stampa, and Elizabeth I of England) in costumes designed by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. Lauro's multidisciplinary approach blends music, art, fashion, and theater. The Pietà reinterpretation has drawn comparisons to earlier contemporary works by Marina Abramović (Anima Mundi, 1983), Sam Taylor-Wood, David LaChapelle, Jan Fabre, and Fabio Viale. The tour is conceived not as standard concerts but as artistic performances exploring gender fluidity and personal transformation.