Monumental Venus of the Rags by Michelangelo Pistoletto installed in Naples

A giant version of Michelangelo Pistoletto's 'Venus of the Rags' (1967) has been installed in Piazza Municipio, Naples, as part of the Napoli Contemporanea initiative promoted by the city administration. The initiative, curated by Vincenzo Trione, includes site-specific exhibitions and installations across the city involving artists such as Antonio Marras, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Gaetano Pesce. The work, originally created in 1967 and currently on view at the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome, features a mountain of multicolored rags concealing a monumental Venus figure, reflecting on consumerism and the cycle of production, purchase, use, and disposal. However, the installation has sparked controversy: Giuseppe Aviti, President of the Angpf (Association of Neapolitan Gardeners and Flower Growers), criticized the work, stating it 'admirably represents everyday Naples living in urban decay and total abandonment, where anyone feels entitled to do anything, even illegally.' Aviti called on the Mayor to explain the statue's meaning and the authorization for its placement.