Every work of art is a surprise. But even more so when dogs, cats, serpents, birds and monkeys make way for more unusual animals, such as toads, for instance. And if the artist places a toad on its back under the figure of Archangel Michael, the mystery increases along with the curiosity. So what does this animal represent? At the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Madonna of the Towers, masterpiece by Bramantino, dating back to the start of the XVI Century, communicates, from the point of view of content, a clear position against the fear of heresy, the evident total defeat of evil through faith. The Virgin seated on a monumental marble throne, covered with a red drape, solemnly hands a palm to Saint Ambrose. The Saint is kneeling on the left, right in front of Archangel Michael who entrusts the effigy of the work’s patron to Baby Jesus who is seated on the lap of the Virgin, ready to receive it. In this symmetrical game of mirrors where the subjects correspond (the two angels are complementary as are the two towers behind them), the two symbols of evil are only glimpsed, placed at the bottom of the painting by the artist. The dead man at the foot of Ambrose is the great heresiarch Arius, symbol of Aryanism, ideally defeated by the faith of the Saint. The disturbing image of the toad placed by Bramantino below Michael represents wickedness defeated.
In her practice, Sang A Han explores oriental painting in its contemporary adaptation. Soft sculptures and layered paintings made with Meok (China ink), cotton fabric and stitching are the result of an intimate revisitation of tradition through a creation process that the artist herself defines performative.
The exhibition reflects on the traditional concept of the vitrine and its centrality in exhibition projects. In relation to the "classical museum display", the display case separates and at the same time exposes the object, offering it for viewing, but creating a barrier for the viewer.
The first museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Miranda July retraces the thirty-year career of the American artist, director and writer from the 1990s to today, presenting short films, performances and installations.
Over 200 shots, including over 60 medium and small formats, chosen and selected by the author and presented together with an unpublished interview, retrace the career of one of the most famous contemporary photographers.