Eugenio Ampudia's 'Un infierno cómodo' at Real Academia de España in Rome

Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia (born 1958 in Melgar, Valladolid) presents his first solo exhibition in Italy at the Real Academia de España in Rome. Titled 'Un infierno cómodo' (A Comfortable Hell), the show transforms the academy into a four-circle inferno. The first two rooms feature flames and cockroaches as symbols against stagnation. A site-specific installation, 'Fuoco Freddo,' sets a library ablaze with light, referencing Marinetti. 'Le parole sono troppo concrete' (Words Are Too Concrete) presents video-spined books transmitting ideas without verbose texts. 'Piaga' covers walls with paper insects made from exhibition invitations, critiquing mass culture and institutional logos. In the 'Salone in cui dormire' (Room to Sleep), Ampudia appears in videos spending nights in cultural spaces across Granada, Lisbon, Barcelona, Mexico City, and Rome, including a time-lapse at the Prado before Goya's 'The Third of May 1808.' The final installation, also titled 'Un infierno cómodo,' places flame-shaped cushions inside Bramante's Tempietto, inviting viewers to rest. The exhibition critiques fast consumption of art and cultural tourism.