Davidino
Resin, jesmonite, plaster, wood · 2024/26 · 150x94x45
The figure of David, whom art history has accustomed us to celebrating as the symbol of the triumph of virtue over brute force, undergoes a radical deconstruction in this work, completely overturning the biblical myth. We are not faced with a hero proud of his redemption, but rather with a profoundly melancholic representation of human vulnerability. The work does not photograph the moment of battle or victory, but captures a much more intimate and tragic moment: the abandonment of the game. The ball left at the boy's feet evokes the image of a broken childhood, of a carefree life that should have been protected but is instead abruptly interrupted. In this scenario, Goliath's helmet undergoes a complete semantic metamorphosis: it ceases to be a trophy of victory and becomes a disproportionate burden weighing on the protagonist's body and mind. The helmet's size is so enormous that it obstructs David's vision, preventing him from seeing the point he himself is pointing to. That gesture, which in other circumstances would have represented a projection toward a goal, a desire, or a possible future, here becomes the symbol of an unattainable goal. David is trapped in forced blindness and physical immobility caused by the weight of a situation larger than himself. It is precisely in this contrast that the work becomes a reflection on life's difficulties. The helmet becomes an allegory for all those traumas, limitations, and problems that affect human beings—children, men, and women—from birth, inevitably conditioning their existence.