Maria Thereza Alves to Create New Mural on Rome's Tiber River Replacing Kentridge's Triumphs and Laments

William Kentridge's monumental mural 'Triumphs and Laments' along the Tiber River in Rome has completely disappeared five years after its creation, as intended. The 550-meter-long frieze, composed of 90 icons created by cleaning patches of the riverbank walls, was designed to be ephemeral. Now, Tevereterno and the Fondazione La Quadriennale di Roma, under new director Gian Maria Tosatti, have launched a call for projects titled 'Oltre Triumphs And Laments' to commission a new artwork for the same site. The jury, including Anna Detheridge, Lorenzo Gigotti, Alfredo Pirri, Monica Scanu, and Cinzia Naticchioni Rojas, selected Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves's project 'Witnesses', curated by Sonia D'Alto. The mural will depict plants currently found in Italy that originate from former Italian colonies Libya, Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia, aiming to spark reflection on Italian colonialism and migration history. The winning proposal will be presented on October 9, 2021, at Piazza Tevere, as part of the Estate Romana 2021, with a public event exploring water routes from the Gianicolo hill to the Tiber.