Fabio Viale's 'Lucky Hei' Pietà at Galleria Poggiali, Milan

Fabio Viale's exhibition 'Lucky Hei' opened on January 18, 2018, at Galleria Poggiali's new space in Foro Bonaparte, Milan. The project reinterprets Michelangelo's Pietà by replacing Christ's figure with Lucky Hei, a Nigerian refugee who survived religious persecution and fled to Italy. Curated by Sergio Risaliti, director of Museo Novecento in Florence, the exhibition comprises three elements: a marble sculpture with a violent tear where Christ was removed, a poster of Lucky Hei in Mary's arms, and an audio recording of his testimony. Risaliti previously sparked controversy in 2016 with a black-painted David in Piazza della Signoria, linking Renaissance mythology to migrant tragedies. The work has drawn criticism from right-wing media, with Il Secolo d'Italia calling it an 'obbrobrio' and 'assurda Pietà pro migranti,' coinciding with Lombardy governor candidate Attilio Fontana's remarks about threats to the 'white race.' Viale's piece aims to merge sacred art with contemporary migration issues, risking rhetoric but asserting a powerful symbolic statement.