Tony Lewis Debuts New Pigments in Florence Museum Show

Tony Lewis (Chicago, 1986) presents his first solo museum exhibition in Italy, "Alms Comity and Plunder," at Museo Marino Marini in Florence, curated by Alberto Salvadori. The show runs until April 23, 2016. Lewis, known for his graphite floor drawings, introduces for the first time pure pigments linked to Florentine painting tradition, discovered during his stay in the city. In the crypt, a large wall text "7 Look people in the eye" is created with screws, elastic bands, and red pigments, quoting from the 1990s bestseller "Life's Little Instruction Book." The exhibition also features graphite, paper, and tape sculptures that adapt to each location, and a series of collages based on Calvin and Hobbes comics where Lewis erases dialogues to address discrimination and language manipulation. The floor drawings are ephemeral, site-specific, and irreproducible elsewhere. The show is supported by Regione Toscana, Oac-Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, and the gallery Massimo De Carlo.