Francesco Vezzoli's 'Vita Dulcis' Blends Antiquity and Pop at Palazzo delle Esposizioni
At the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Francesco Vezzoli (Brescia, 1971) showcases 'Vita Dulcis. Paura e desiderio nell’Impero romano,' co-curated by Stéphane Verger, who has directed the Museo Nazionale Romano since 2020. This exhibition, divided into seven thematic sections—'PARA BELLUM,' 'ANIMULA VAGULA BLANDULA,' 'DUX FEMINA FACTI,' 'CERTA OMNIBUS,' 'RIDENTEM DICERE VERUM,' 'UBI POTENTIA REGNAT,' and 'MIXTURA DEMENTIAE'—includes notable pieces like the torso of Domitian, fifty marble tombstones, and the Sleeping Hermaphroditus. Alongside film clips, Vezzoli's creations, including 'Achille!' (2021) and 'Portrait of Antinous as a Rock star' (2023), are also featured. Marco Delogu serves as the president of the exhibition.
Key facts
- Francesco Vezzoli's 'Vita Dulcis' at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome
- Co-curated with archaeologist Stéphane Verger, director of Museo Nazionale Romano
- Seven thematic sections with Latin titles: PARA BELLUM, ANIMULA VAGULA BLANDULA, DUX FEMINA FACTI, CERTA OMNIBUS, RIDENTEM DICERE VERUM, UBI POTENTIA REGNAT, MIXTURA DEMENTIAE
- Includes ancient artifacts from Museo Nazionale Romano and Vezzoli's works
- Highlights: torso of Domitian as Hercules, Sleeping Hermaphroditus, fifty marble tombstones
- Vezzoli's works: 'Achille!' (2021), 'Portrait of Antinous as a Rock star' (2023), 'Portrait of Kim Kardashian (Ante Litteram)'
- Film clips from 'Cabiria', 'Spartacus', 'Sebastiane', Fellini's 'Satyricon', 'Gladiator', and Vezzoli's 'Caligula' trailer
- Lighting by Luca Bigazzi, displays by Filippo Bisagni
- Palazzo delle Esposizioni president: Marco Delogu
Entities
Artists
- Francesco Vezzoli
- Stéphane Verger
- Luca Bigazzi
- Filippo Bisagni
- Giovanni Petrone
- Gabriele D'Annunzio
- Stanley Kubrick
- Derek Jarman
- Federico Fellini
- Sergio Corbucci
- Ridley Scott
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Gore Vidal
- Ugo Tognazzi
- Elizabeth Taylor
- David Bowie
- Kim Kardashian
- Nicolas Cordier
- Johann Joachim Winckelmann
- Bartolomeo Cavaceppi
- Ranuccio Bianchi Baldinelli
- Salvatore Settis
- Nikolaus Himmelmann
- Gustav Mahler
- Helga Marsala
Institutions
- Palazzo delle Esposizioni
- Museo Nazionale Romano
- Almine Rech Gallery
- Galleria Franco Noero
- Apalazzogallery
- Fondazione Prada
- Fondazione Brescia Musei
- Biennale di Venezia
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Brescia
- Milan
- Palermo