Valerio Adami
I was down at Palazzo Reale to see the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition and I took the chance to see the free exhibition on Valerio Adami, whom I didn’t know. The Author Valerio Adami is an Italian painter renowned for his distinctive visual style that blends influences from various artistic movements, including the visuals of […]
I was down at Palazzo Reale to see the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition and I took the chance to see the free exhibition on Valerio Adami, whom I didn’t know.
The Author
Valerio Adami is an Italian painter renowned for his distinctive visual style that blends influences from various artistic movements, including the visuals of American Comics, and incorporates complex themes from literature, philosophy, history, and mythology. Heavily influenced by Pop Art, French Cloisonnism, and artists such as Francis Bacon and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as the Narrative Figuration movement, he developed his distinctive approach through the 1960s, when he began to experiment with saturated colours within flat planes to create images that are both prismatic and satirical.
The sense of fragmentation mirrors the complexity of the themes he explores: literature, philosophy, history, and mythology are central to his work, and his compositions often have a cartoon-like quality that belies their intellectual depth. This combination of playful imagery and serious subject matter is engaging on multiple levels, from the simple trying to understand what the heck is going on to reflecting on deeper meanings, and invites to explore the underlying messages within his artwork.
His ability to incorporate intellectual themes into his fragmented, Pop Art-influenced imagery has earned him a place among the most influential artists of his generation.
Born in 1935 in Bologna, Italy, Adami’s artistic journey began with his studies at the Accademia di Brera in Milan from 1951 to 1954. During this formative period, he developed a foundation that would later evolve into his unique style, characterized by fragmented scenes, flat areas of colour, and bold black outlines.
Adami’s career has been marked by numerous solo and retrospective exhibitions, including those at the Venice Biennale. His paintings are part of major museum collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. He lives and works between Paris, Monte Carlo, and Meina, Italy.
2. Exhibited Works
2.1. The Early Years
The first room is dedicated to Adami’s post-war explorations, with works that are heavily influenced by Francis Bacon and apparently light-years apart from what will become his distinctive style.
«By drawing, passions rise from the paper
through the tip of the pencil
to our hand,
thus following the pencil,
thus becoming artists…»
2.2 Myths and Legends
Adami’s interest in mythological themes is beautifully captured in two significant works created during his stay in New York: “Pandora’s Box” and “Oedipe et le Sphinx.” Both pieces delve into the depths of human psychology and morality, using classical stories as a framework for contemporary reflection.
Pandora’s Box draws from the Greek myth where Pandora, created by Zeus as a punishment for humanity after Prometheus stole fire from the gods, is given a box containing all the world’s evils and is warned not to open it. Driven by curiosity, Pandora opens the box, unleashing suffering and deceit into the world, yet hope remains trapped inside. Through this piece, Adami explores the duality of human nature, the tension between curiosity and consequence, and the enduring presence of hope amidst adversity.
In Oedipe et le Sphinx, Adami engages with the tragic tale of Oedipus, a character who confronts mystery and destiny. The artwork portrays Oedipus solving the Sphinx’s riddle, a symbol of knowledge and truth intertwined with danger. The myth of Oedipus examines themes of fate, the pursuit of truth, and the repercussions of human choices. Adami’s visual interpretation invites the audience to ponder the intricacies of human relationships and the weight of decisions, paralleling Oedipus’s struggle against his fateful destiny.
Neither of these works is present in the exhibition, but their study is both effective to better appreciate works such as Sturm und Drang (1979), in which the painter dances with the myth of Ulysses and the Siren’s song, again a representation of the human struggles in the face of the unknown, of curiosity and forbidden truths.
«Ulysses with wax in his ears. The landscape is medieval. The form explains both things and their archetypes together. Metamorphoses, breviary of drawing, silkworm, etc. If Omero was blind, what good is the face of truth?»
(23.07.1979, V.A.)
2.3. Music and other intellectual suggestions
Another of his most recognized pieces is inspired by Jean Sibelius’s symphonic poem, Finlandia. The artwork resonates with viewers through its dynamic composition and bold imagery, mirroring the powerful themes of nationalism and freedom found in Sibelius’s music. Similarly, Intérieur colonial, a piece purchased by the French state, exemplifies Adami’s approach to modernity and figuration. It explores the complexities of colonial history and its lasting impact, offering a nuanced commentary on cultural intersections and the intricacies of identity.
Finlandia in particular resonates with what’s possibly the most beautiful section of the exhibition, featuring works such as Lilliputian Boat Lake (1990) the Dialogue Between Me and Myself Naked (1970).
Both of them feature Adami’s signature flat areas of colour enclosed by black outlines, and yet the evolution is strikingly visible in the treatment of the background and the intuition of a coronet-like circle transfiguring the head of the figure on the boat to the left. Though the central motif to both of them is a boat, the reference to the Lilliputians from Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels hints at the idea of being very small in a larger world, whereas the “conversation” in the painting to the right seems to have a more open answer.
2.4. Travelling the World
Travel is a recurring theme in Valerio Adami’s paintings, often intertwined with other elements such as music, literature, and theatre. His paintings often use travel as a symbolic representation of the journey through diverse cultures, landscapes, and narratives.
Adami’s own life experiences significantly inform his artistic practice, with his extensive travels across Europe and beyond shaping the narratives he depicts. His personal journey, including time spent in culturally rich cities such as Paris, New York, and Caracas, has greatly influenced his artistic vision. Each of these cities, with their unique histories and cultural tapestries, has left an indelible mark on Adami’s work, infusing his art with themes of travel, exploration, and discovery. Travel, therefore, becomes an intrinsic part of his narrative, reflecting his understanding of the world as a mosaic of interconnected experiences and stories.
One of the most distinctive aspects of Adami’s work is his use of symbolic representation, which portrays travel as a metaphorical journey, and his often ironical incursion of mythological themes, such as the comparison of the shepherds’ discovery of Noah’s Arc in Arcadia and the loss of his own luggage in India.
His compositions frequently incorporate elements that evoke different cultures and experiences, reflecting a tapestry of various landscapes and narratives. By doing so, Adami’s paintings suggest a journey that transcends geographical boundaries, encouraging viewers to reflect on the diverse experiences of traversing different cultural terrains. The use of vivid colours and fragmented forms symbolizes the excitement and unpredictability inherent in moving through different environments, and this visual dynamism captures the essence of travel as an ever-changing, kaleidoscopic experience filled with both anticipation and discovery.
The theme of fragmentation as a symbol of anticipation also features in the last of the themes I identified while perusing through the exhibition: social commentary and sex.
2.5. Social Commentary and Sex
Adami employs objects and figures that carry sexual connotations, integrating them into compositions that reflect modernity. As these elements are never overt, his paintings are never vulgar even when explicit, and themes are suggested through symbols, creating a visual language that demands a deeper reflection. This subtlety allows viewers to engage with the works on multiple levels, exploring the underlying themes of desire and human connection without being confronted with graphic imagery.
Adami’s depiction of sexuality is heavily influenced by Pop Art, particularly by artists like Roy Lichtenstein. He incorporates elements of pop culture and everyday objects, using them as symbols of modern life, including those of a sexual nature. This method allows him to explore sexuality within a broader context, reflecting the complexities of human relationships and desires. By embedding these elements within his art, Adami connects the intimate aspects of personal experience with the larger societal framework, revealing the interplay between individual desire and cultural expression.
To me, the highest expression of this approach is Privacy, or the Homosexuals, a 1965 triptych hinting at public bathrooms, half-shed clothes and voyeurism, cigarettes and hats, without being sexual in the slightest.
The exhibition is on till September 22nd. And it’s free.
If you’re in the neighbourhood, go and see it.