COMPONENTS: Iron pipes, fabric
DIMENSIONS: 435 × 250 × 360 cm or
540 × 250 × 360 cm
PROVENANCE: The artist
COLLECTION: Fabio Mauri Estate, Rome
CATALOGUE: I_2002_633
To mark the anniversary of the roundup of Jews in the Rome Ghetto, twelve contemporary artworks were installed among the remains of the Synagogue and Capitol in Ostia, tackling historical memory at one of the oldest places of worship of the Jewish Diaspora. In an area of the archaeological park, Mauri built a structure out of Innocenti pipes, hoisting a large white flag at its centre. He wrote: ‘It is the surrender of judgment. At least of mine. It floods me with an inability to understand […] Mine is a formal surrender.’1 Despite the peremptory tone, a certain element of hope does seem to seep out even from that extrema ratio, as if laying down the weapons of judgment may, in this case, be the only way to open up to something new, if it is true that, as the artist concludes, ‘a certain measure of surrender may perhaps reveal new alternatives.’2
1. F. Mauri, La resa, in Arte in memoria, catalogue of the exhibition (Scavi di Ostia, 2002), edited by A. Zevi, Incontri internazionali d’arte, Rome, 2002, p. 96.
2. Ibid.
2002, Ostia antica (Rome), Archaeological Park, Arte in Memoria, 16 October – 30 November, curated by Adachiara Zevi.
2003, Tourcoing-Lille, Le Fresnoy, Studio national des arts contemporains, Fabio Mauri – L’écran mental, 1 March – 27 April, curated by Dominique Païni.
2004-2005, Rome, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, I misteri di Roma, 22 December 2004 – 13 February 2005.
2011, Venice, Casinò di Venezia, Alfabeta 2 è un’altra cosa… Riflessi dell’arte italiana, 2 June – 31 October, curated by Davide Di Maggio.
2012, Bologna, Biblioteca comunale dell’Archiginnasio, Fabio Mauri – La Resa, 28 January – 28 February.
2015, Venice, Serra dei Giardini, Flags, 7 May – 6 August, curated by Elena Forin.
2016-2017, Naples, Museo Madre, Retrospettiva a luce solida, 26 November 2016 – 6 March 2017, curated by Laura Cherubini, Andrea Viliani.
2021, Venice, Spazio Thetis, Spazio Thetis: Nuove installazioni nel parco sculture, 2 July – 27 November.
Laura Tansini, “Per "Arteinmemoria" scendono in campo 12 artisti contemporanei”, in La Stampa, Turin, 17 October 2002, pp. 1, 5 (ill.).
Elena Del Drago, “Forme per l'eco del destino”, in il manifesto, Rome, 19 October 2002, p. 15.
Arte in memoria, exhibition catalogue, Archaeological Park, Ostia, edited by Adachiara Zevi (Rome: Incontri internazionali d’arte, 2002), pp. 96–97, 72–74 (ill.).
Fabio Mauri. L’écran mental, exhibition catalogue, Le Fresnoy, Studio national des arts contemporains, Tourcoing-Lille, edited by Dominique Païni (Lille, 2003), pp. 96–97 (ill.).
Ludovico Pratesi, “L'uomo che proiettò Gesù sul corpo di Pasolini”, in Il Venerdì, no. 780, Rome, 28 February 2003, p. 98 (ill.).
Fabio Mauri, “Words by Fabio Mauri”, in Boiler, no. 5, 2005, p. 214 (ill.).
Fabio Mauri, Scritti in mostra. L’avanguardia come zona 1958-2008, edited by Francesca Alfano Miglietti (Milan: il Saggiatore, 2008), pp. 126–128 (ill.).
Fabio Mauri, Io sono un ariano (Milan: Lampi di stampa, 2009), pp. 389–392 (ill.).
Alfabeta 2, Year I, no. 2, Milan, September 2010, p. 13 (ill.).
Alfabeta 2: Alfabiennale, no. 10, Milan, June 2011, cover (ill.).
Fabio Mauri, exhibition catalogue, Fundación PROA, Buenos Aires, edited by Giacinto Di Pietrantonio (Buenos Aires, 2014), p. 55 (ill.).
