Interi at Museo Casa di Dante and the Museo de’ Medici
Interi will be opening two exhibitions this fall with Museo Casa di Dante and the Museo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy. Jean O’Reilly Barlow, the artist and creative director of Interi, has created works of art that will debut with the notable Italian museums. The first is titled, Il Coraggio e la Paura and will be hosted by the Society of Fine Arts - Artists' Circle “Dante's House.” In English the title translates to “Courage and Fear.” The exhibition will be held at Museo Casa di Dante, a museum that honors the history and life of Dante Alighieri. It was formerly the famous Italian poet’s home and is now committed to sharing Dante’s literary work and important works of art. This autumn, the chosen exhibition had to circulate around the idea of courage and fear.
“For the collection, I used 17th and 18th century figurative, ecclesiastical elements and parts of Italian crucifixes to create sculptural works of art,” says Barlow. “For example, one piece I used an arm that came off of a figure of Christ and for another I used figurative, hand-carved crossbones that were at the bottom of a crucifix and created pieces that illustrated the idea of courage and fear - two juxtaposing ideas that can’t coexist without the other.”
The theme was given to her by the president of the Society of Fine Arts - Artists' Circle “Dante's House,” Franco Margari.
“This time we wanted to choose a theme that fits with the primary feelings of Man, in particular those that are most prevalent in today's society: Courage and fear,” says Margari. “In the condition of being contemporary, courage often manifests itself in the ability to face one's fears in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world. However, courage is not only in facing these fears, but also in trying to overcome them, in the search for innovative solutions and in attempting positive change despite the challenges.”
The exhibition will be on display from September 21st until October 3rd at Museo Casa di Dante. To view pieces from the collection, click here.
The second exhibition premiering is The Florence Fragment Collection with the Museo de’ Medici on October 12th. This is a collection of historical fragment artifacts found and saved from the infamous Florence flood of 1966 which was the worst flood the city had faced since the Renaissance. After days of severe and heavy rainfall, the Arno River flooded and submerged the Tuscan streets. Along with the irreplaceable masterpieces of art and rare books, tons of mud and rubble severely damaged or destroyed the artifacts in the very churches they adorned. These pieces have now been preserved and transformed into sculptural works of art. The exhibition will take place during the 58th anniversary of the historic flood which occurred on November 4th, 1966.
“While many of the fragment artifacts I’ve collected are distressed due to age, these Florence fragments stand apart,” says Barlow. “They symbolize a history that has been carried through the floods of Florence, to the storehouse, then the studio, and now to the museum.”
The pieces were originally 17th and 18th century decorative ecclesiastical objects and elements from churches in Florence. Following the flood, they were collected by a Florentine man who stored the pieces in his storehouse and it remained completely closed for about 30 years.
About 15 years ago, they allowed only a few select antique dealers and restorers in to buy pieces from the storehouse. Years ago, Barlow began to take interest and buy as many of these fragments as she could out of her own fascination. The collection of distressed ecclesiastical relics have been preserved and transformed by Barlow using natural specimens from all around the world to create historic yet contemporary sculptural works. By incorporating the rare minerals, it looks as though the pieces evolved together over time. The pieces also emulate a deeper message of restoration that captures the bigger mission behind Interi.
“Each one has been transformed and reveals a new interpretation,” says Barlow. “What was submerged and stripped of its color and meaning still retains its history and beauty. What was weathered and worn is now reimagined and reborn. What was lost is now found.”
The exhibition will premiere on October 12th with the Museo de’ Medici and will close November 10th. The Museo de' Medici or “the Medici Museum” is located in the monumental Rotonda Brunelleschi which was designed in 1432 and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, a famous Italian architect who also built the Florence dome. He is also considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture. The Museo de’ Medici is devoted to preserving the history of the Medici family and exhibiting precious collections of works of art, historical relics, original documents, faithful reconstructions and multimedia installations.
“I am honored to present this collection with the Museo de’ Medici with the city where the pieces found their origin and precious history,” says Barlow. “This collection is to honor the history of Florence and to show the beauty and resilience the city holds. It is the birthplace of the renaissance and this collection pays tribute to the rebirth after the flood.”
Both collections of art by Barlow show her signature work of preserving and transforming historical, Italian, ecclesiastical fragments into sculptural art by using rare minerals and contemporary interpretations. To view the available pieces from the Florence Fragment Collection on the online gallery, click here.