Kórai
From Friday, September 22, 2023, until Sunday, January 14, 2024, is the solo exhibition of Mattia Bosco (Milan, 1976) titled "Kόrai," which is being held in the evocative spaces of the Temple of Venus and Rome, within the archaeological park of the Colosseum.
The exhibition project is curated by Daniele Fortuna and is promoted by the archaeological park of the Colosseum, the Atipografia art gallery, directed by Elena dal Molin, and ArtVerona. The exhibition is the result of the ninth edition of the Level 0 project, a format from ArtVerona 2021 that invited a selection of museums and private foundations to each identify an artist participating in the fair to promote within their future programming. Mattia Bosco, represented at the fair by Atipografia, was chosen by the archaeological park of the Colosseum to create this exhibition.
The exhibition project "Kόrai" comes to life through 12 marble sculptures specifically designed for the spaces of the Temple of Venus and Rome, the largest temple of ancient Rome, inaugurated in AD 136 and clad in precious marbles from all over the empire, which were plundered over the centuries and are now only partially preserved. Mattia Bosco reintroduces these precious marble materials into new forms within the architecture of the Roman Imperial era, within the remains of the ancient temple. In deep resonance with the genius loci, he aims to evoke the sensation of something repressed resurfacing, of ancient inhabitants returning in different forms but still revealing, through their way of inhabiting space, a sense of belonging. Marbles like Cipollino, Portoro, red Collemandina, Paonazzo, Fiordipesco, and Carrara white – once columns, intricate floors, and wall coverings – reappear here as sculptures, in a material and temporal continuity that connects the past, present, and future. Sustainability is a fundamental element in the artist's practice. Bosco creates his sculptures using stones and rocks discarded during the extraction process because they lack a suitable shape for commercial use.
The protagonist of the project is the temple itself, divided into two adjacent spaces: the cell dedicated to the goddess Roma, the embodiment of the Eternal City, and the cell of Venus, the deity of love and beauty, progenitor of the Gens Julia.
In the cell of Roma, arranged in a circle like dancers, are nine sculptures from the series titled "Korai," from the Greek word κόρη, meaning "girl," a term that refers to votive female statues. The nine sculptures, molded in marbles that show the effects of time on the stone's layers.
Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, Rome
September 22, 2023 - January 14, 2024
The exhibition is included in the admission ticket to the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum and can be visited during regular opening hours.
Opening hours:
From September 1 to September 30: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
From October 1 to October 28: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
From October 29 to February 28: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
