Artist installs unauthorized Madonnina replica in Milan's Darsena to protest climate inaction
On September 8, 2023, photographer and artist Fabrizio Spucches installed a replica of the Madonnina, the iconic statue atop Milan's Duomo, in the Darsena canal as a guerrilla art project titled 'Souvenir.' The installation was initially planned for July 2023 as part of a fundraising campaign for flood victims in Pakistan, with EU funding, municipal support, and backing from a humanitarian association. However, Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo, the Archpriest of Milan, vetoed the project two days before its inauguration, citing 'reasons connected to the commodification of the image of the Madonnina.' In response, Spucches purchased a bronze replica from the official Duomo shop for €790 and installed it without permission. He addressed a fiery open letter to Borgonovo, accusing him of hypocrisy given the shop's sale of Madonnina-themed souvenirs, including perfumes and alcohol. The original 4-meter-tall replica remains in storage. Spucches aims to highlight climate change, referencing the severe storms that struck Milan a month earlier.
Key facts
- Artist Fabrizio Spucches installed a Madonnina replica in Milan's Darsena on September 8, 2023.
- The project was originally planned for July 2023 but vetoed by Monsignor Gianantonio Borgonovo.
- Spucches purchased a bronze replica from the Duomo's official shop for €790.
- The installation is titled 'Souvenir' and addresses climate change.
- The original 4-meter replica remains in storage.
- The project was EU-funded and supported by the municipality and a humanitarian association.
- Spucches wrote an open letter accusing Borgonovo of hypocrisy over commodification.
- The Madonnina is a symbol of Milan, typically atop the Duomo.
Entities
Artists
- Fabrizio Spucches
Institutions
- Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
- Comune di Milano
- Unione Europea
Locations
- Milano
- Italy
- Darsena
- Piazza Duomo