Fabio Viale's 'Aurum' Merges Classical Sculpture with Tattoo Culture in Arezzo

Italian sculptor Fabio Viale (born 1975 in Cuneo) presents 'Aurum', a traveling exhibition in Arezzo that fuses classical marble statuary with contemporary tattoo motifs. The show features over forty sculptures, each secretly containing one gram of gold—a nod to Arezzo's goldsmith history and a symbol of seduction and danger. Viale, who won the Premio Cairo and participated in the 58th Venice Biennale, is known for pushing marble's boundaries, as with his floating marble boat 'Ahgalla'. In 'Aurum', he applies tattoo designs ranging from criminal and Japanese styles to South American and trap culture, disrupting the viewer's expectation of classical serenity. The exhibition spans multiple venues, including the Fortezza Medicea, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, and Sala Sant'Ignazio. Viale describes his work as a reaction to external stimuli, with rationality arriving after the creative impulse. He is currently developing site-specific works in the woods near Pietrasanta to create a direct dialogue with nature.