Alex Da Corte’s ‘World Leader Pretend’ at Gió Marconi, Milan

Alex Da Corte’s solo exhibition ‘World Leader Pretend’ at Galleria Gió Marconi in Milan explores the fragility of leadership through a pop-infused, conceptually layered installation. The show’s centerpiece, ‘Le Mont Noir’ (2024), features an oversized Napoleon hat that fills the room, symbolizing the emperor’s inflated ego. Another work, ‘The Burial of the Dead’ (2024), depicts skeletons dancing behind a barricade. The exhibition title references the R.E.M. song of the same name, whose lyrics dismantle the facade of stardom. The accompanying texts recount an event at dawn on May 5, 1821, when Napoleon died, a moment that shocked the world due to his perceived immortality. The final piece, ‘Born To Die’ (2024), shows a black canvas with the letters ACDC altered to A.DC, the artist’s initials, after erasing the first C. The show runs at Gió Marconi in Milan.