"Stattoo" is one of Mimmi Moretti's most iconic projects. This time the photographer turned his attention to the statues of the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome.
The stadium, inspired by classical Greece, was designed by Enrico Del Debbio in 1928 and inaugurated in 1932. Sixty marble statues were placed on the steps of the stadium, donated by the Italian provinces and representing different sports.
In the photographs, the statues emerge from a light, almost Caravaggesque, to reveal their imposing physicality, their strength, their powerful bodies and their features. Heroes of the ancient empire, the statues stand out against a deliberately grey sky, as if Zeus were about to unleash a storm.
Today, through the photographs of Mimmi Moretti, these statues tell a new and modern story. In fact, these powerful bodies are covered with tattoos, as if they were made of flesh, drawn by famous Milanese tattoo artists..
So what happened to these athletes? The black and white photographs were printed on fine art paper (Hahnemüle Photo Rag) and then given to a small circle of authoritative tattoo artists to tattoo. The tattoo artists were asked to draw their art on the statues, following their own style and creating original drawings.
The end result is unique pieces, and Moretti has decided to limit the number of photo editions to three, making them even more exclusive.
"Stattoo" has won important national and international awards with numerous exhibitions, from Rome to Milan, to London, to our beloved Città della Pieve.
In our gallery and on our website you will find some of these original limited edition artworks and some in digital format.
We invite you to watch the video of the exhibition at Palazzo della Corgna in Città della Pieve.