IV edition - 2012

Giulia Caira

Quando Ulisse se ne andò Circe e i suoi maiali si divertirono tantissimo

Apparently amusing, as the title itself is intended to underline, Giulia Caira’s work is in reality a representation with sarcastic content that reinterprets the Odyssey in a contemporary vein, giving the mythological story a suitable tone for current events. The sensational aspect of the work, close in its setting to Manet’s subversive Le déjeuner sur l’herbe, lies not so much in the hypostasis between man and animal by Circe but in the narrative distortion made by the artist, who transforms the drama of the metamorphosis into a moment devoted to pleasure, without worries and to be enjoyed with all the senses. While Ulysses used the herb “moly” in order to be unharmed by the sorceress’ spell, the men in his crew preferred to submit to the charm of magic, rather than miss the experience – even though irreversible – of participating in Circe’s banquet and repeating the “love feast”, even if as pigs. With absolute complicity with regard to the values represented by Fabbri, Giulia Caira attributes to amarena cherries the magical and irrefractable power that it is impossible to withstand, even to the detriment of one’s own individuality, thus creating a kind of teleological document affirming that the ultimate goal of beings is pleasure.

Giulia Caira