IL GRANDE VETRO DI FRANCESCO VEZZOLI (AFTER LEONOR FINI)
by FRANCESCO VEZZOLI
Radical Parisian haute couturière, Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973), is arguably art history’s first punk, and definitely its first deconstructivist. Enduringly noted for a handful of collaborations with avant-garde artists during the 1930s – such as her 1937 Shocking perfume, with bottle designed by Argentinian surrealist Leonor Fini – the Schiaparelli signature, rather, was a promise to celebrate powerful, erotic women. Shocking is reinterpreted by Francesco Vezzoli in radically outsized proportion, doubly amplifying Schiaparelli’s pioneering sensibility and the bottle’s curvature inspired by a dress form for Hollywood actress Mae West. Monolithic, the work stands as a commemorative tribute to three astonishing women.
FRANCESCO VEZZOLI
Francesco Vezzoli’s work can be described as a series of strong allegories regarding contemporary culture with a rich subtext of elaborate references, realised through video installations, needlepoint embroidery, photography, live performances, photography, media experiments, and more. His works have been exhibited at many institutions including The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; Serralves Museum, Portugal; Fondazione Cini, Italy; Fondazione Prada, Italy; Tate Modern, London; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; MoMA PS1, New York; and Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, Monaco.
