Chiara Lecca's Animal-Material Works Challenge Cruelty-Free Dogma at Palazzo Doria Pamphili

Chiara Lecca (Modigliana, 1977) presents 'Dall'Uovo alla Dea' at Palazzo Doria Pamphili's Stanze Segrete in Rome, curated by Francesca de Paolis. The exhibition features eleven works made from animal by-products—lamb nails, rabbit ears and tails, boar and snake skins—that initially appear as amber, crystal, marble, or flowers. Lecca transforms what nature produces and humans discard, without harming animals, aiming to celebrate them. The show occupies the ground-floor rooms once inhabited by Camillo Pamphili in the mid-17th century, an alchemy enthusiast who collected mirabilia. Works are placed in the Sala da pranzo and Ninfeo di Diana, usually closed to the public. The title references the egg, an alchemical symbol of perfection, with four 'Big Bubbles' (2012) opening the path. New series 'Purpura Snakes' and 'Purpura Shapes' were created for the occasion. The journey ends in the Ninfeo di Diana with 'Turquoise Still Life 1', an installation responding to 19th-century frescoes by Annibale Angelini (1812-1884). A final work at the Ospitale di Santa Francesca Romana in Trastevere completes the encounter with Diana as protector of animals. Lecca's still lifes are described as 'still life' implying continuity, challenging the notion of violence in animal-derived art.