By Simone Bandini
Photo by Giacomo Roggi
Florence, capital of the Renaissance, we are in the complex of the Basilica of San Lorenzo; Paris, the essence of modern European culture, from the Place de la Madeleine to the Hôtel de Crillon: two monumental exhibition itineraries in which Maestro Andrea Roggi confronts the architecture and volumes of the city through the significant lens of his creations. A journey that is only apparently formal that catapults the viewer into a dreamlike and archetypal dimension.
Two major exhibitions of international and universal scope: “Humanitas – The Force of Love” will be visible in Florence until August 8, 2025, while “Élan vital – quand la form rêvēle l’invisible”, will punctuate the streets and monuments of the heart of Paris until July 12.
Andrea Roggi’s love for Florence is a special and unconditional one. Florence once wounded, to which the Maestro dedicates the Tree of Peace, in memory and commemoration of the victims of the mafia massacre of Via dei Georgofili.
Florence is the universal light and measure of beauty, a salvific and sublime value to which the human soul tends if inspired by knowledge and virtue: a hyperbole that takes shape in the visible world, as if descended from the heavens of Platonic ideas, in the nine works on display at the San Lorenzo complex: four monumental installations in the churchyard of the Basilica and five medium-sized works in the internal cloisters of the basilica itself.
From his first work of youth, Atman, forged by a Roggi in his early twenties, to the monumental open-air works (Family in Flight, Imagine a New World, KI and Srngar), essential intuitions follow one another in a maieutic dialogue between spirit and matter – of communion and sometimes distancing – as if to manifest, trap, stop in an absolute snapshot the mystery of the existence of absolute things.
The human figures, represented in embraces, are like tree trunks and their arms turned towards the sky are transformed into lush olive fronds studded with golden fruits. Their articulated roots are inscribed in the terrestrial globe rendered with an innovative casting technique created and patented by the artist: dynamic fusion. The large bronzes show an incredible lightness and defy the laws of physics with amazing balances that add value to the environments in which they are placed and with which they are compared. But what leads the Maestro to exhibit his works in Paris?
“It is a city that has always inspired me with its timeless beauty and its extraordinary artistic heritage, the realization of a dream. For me it is an immense joy and a great honour to present my Trees of Life in this unique place, where art, history and culture intertwine in perfect harmony. This exhibition is not only a milestone in my artistic career, but also a personal journey of profound transformation. Paris is, in fact, the ideal context to share the message of the Energy of Life, a universal force that animates all my works and constitutes its beating heart. I am deeply grateful to be able to offer the Parisian public an opportunity to connect with this vital energy and the values of peace, harmony and shared humanity that have always inspired my work.”
There are six monumental works on display in the centre of Paris – Apeiron, Élan Infini, Essence Vital, Fecunditas, The Future is in the Roots, Élan Vital – as well as the sculpture Energy of Life, created in collaboration with Martin Katz, kept at the Hôtel de Crillon.
Henri Bergson’s concept of élan vital and Andrea Roggi’s Energy of Life both reveal the invisible and dynamic force that animates existence. For Bergson, élan vital is the creative impulse behind the evolution of life, an inexhaustible energy that drives growth, transformation and connection between living beings. Roggi, through his monumental sculptures, translates this force into tangible form, sculpting in bronze the vital flow that permeates the universe and thus offering a visual and sensory experience of the incessant movement of the existing.
In this space of contemplation, form becomes a gateway to the invisible: Roggi’s sculptures do not limit themselves to representing the world, but make it vibrate, bringing to light the invisible bond that unites us to everything.
His work transforms élan vital from an abstract philosophical concept to a lived experience, inviting us to recognize and feel the force flowing – within and around us.
And that’s not all: also in Paris, in October, the Maestro will hold a solo exhibition at the main venue of the Galeries Bartoux, located in Matignon, in the heart of Paris – in conjunction with Art Basel Paris. On this occasion, the limited series – in a reduced format – inspired by “Energy of Life” will also be officially launched, again in collaboration with jeweller Martin Katz. Let’s give it time, we will talk about it again in the next Autumn edition of the magazine.
Info: La Scultura di Andrea Roggi, Località Manciano 236b, Castiglion Fiorentino (Ar) / Tel. 0575 653401 / www.andrearoggi.com / info@andrearoggi.com