THE UNCONVENTIONAL WORKS OF STEFANO BOLCATO

Starting from the popular game of building blocks, Roman artist Stefano Bolcato likes to subvert the rules reinterpreting famous masterpieces of the history of art. Sticking to the time-honored technique of oil painting he presents the characters of the Lego world as protagonists of classics such as ‘Portrait of a Lady’ by Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Self-portrait’ by Frida Kahlo, ‘Marilyn’ by Andy Warhol, ‘Portraits of the Dukes of Urbino’ by Piero della Francesca, ‘Dante Alighieri’ by Sandro Botticelli, ‘Dame’ by Pollaiolo.

The very choice of Bolcato to work with oil painting, presenting it in such a playful way, with the captivating effect of brightly colored plastic, together with the juxtaposition of a technique of ancient tradition and contemporary subjects of industrial design, will give a dusting to the history of art through some of its most famous icons. The color and the irony of the subjects represented on canvas create an emotional short circuit in the viewer and open a dialogue between the spectator and the history of art while shifting the attention to the game and the role of art. “What Stefano Bolcato creates - says Claudia Ferrini, Artistic Director and cofounder of Zoe - is a very serious game: through the language of pop, the artist keeps the attention alive around the [artistic] heritage and creates, in the mind of the viewer, an imaginary universe where playfulness and education harmoniously coexist. Bolcato exemplifies the definition of the Museum of the Future, where artists are able to reinterpret the collections and provide new interpretative suggestions”.