A new pop-up exhibition, Galerie Nathalie Obadia x rhinoceros gallery, is now open in Rome at rhinoceros gallery, the contemporary art space led by Alessia Caruso Fendi. In the heart of Rome, between the Forum Boarium and the Circus Maximus, stands rhinoceros, a building that symbolizes the cultural exchange between Rome and the global community. This building, designed by Alda Fendi and Jean Nouvel, transcends its nature as a residence to become a showcase for intellectual and artistic exchanges.
From September 19 to November 30, 2024, rhinoceros gallery will feature the works of Galerie Nathalie Obadia – a French gallery founded in 1993 and internationally renowned for its diverse exhibition repertoire, spanning visual arts to multimedia installations.
On the ground floor, with large windows overlooking the Arch of Janus and the Temples of Hercules and Portunus, rhinoceros gallery is a centre of innovation and creativity, a place where art, design and contemporaneity in general meet in a fruitful dialogue between the eternal city and the world. Artistic proposals never seen before in Italy are hosted through temporary collaborations with international realities.
“rhinoceros gallery was conceived as a place capable of generating visions and creative exchanges. I am thrilled about this next chapter in our ongoing journey of exploration and the dialogue that has been established between rhinoceros gallery and Galerie Nathalie Obadia. I was immediately struck by the gallery’s openness and broad perspective, reflected in the generous selection of artists who will exhibit in our spaces. The cross-generational and interdisciplinary nature of these works forms a core of intersecting voices and visions, which is the essence of our mission: to be a window from Rome to the world.” – affirms Alessia Caruso Fendi.
At rhinoceros gallery, Galerie Nathalie Obadia presents a group exhibition that brings together emerging and established artists, creating new artistic synergies. In the spaces designed by Jean Nouvel, Seydou Keïta, a photographer and portraitist active in Mali since 1948, captures the vibrancy and modernity of post-colonial African society. His works are displayed alongside those of Laure Prouvost, who presents a collection of pieces – including large-scale tapestries – that act as an archive of visions, capturing the flow of images and texts that inundate us daily.
Romana Londi showcases works from 2024 that reflect her experimental approach to painting, exploring the immediacy of life and merging contrasting realities into hybrid compositions. With his sculptures, Antoine Renard delves into themes related to the body, youth, and cultural tradition – his David openly references Donatello’s work – while also exploring the sensory and olfactory realms.
Andres Serrano draws from classical aesthetics, transforming the subjects of his photographs into monumental figures through structure and colour. The effect is intensified by his choice of subjects tied to Italy, such as Michelangelo’s Moses from San Pietro in Vincoli, located in Rome. Joris Van De Moortel, a musician, performer, painter, and sculptor, presents large canvases, watercolours, and tempera works at rhinoceros gallery, brimming with literary references ranging from William Blake to L’arbre des batailles, a military law treatise written in the late 14th century for the young King Charles VI of France.
Agnès Varda’s works represent a return to her roots. The filmmaker, a pioneer of the Nouvelle Vague, always complemented her renowned film career with photography, a practice she pursued from a young age. The exhibition features eleven images from the “Patates Coeurs” series, a subject Varda revisited multiple times, considering it “a symbol of a life that constantly renews itself.”
