We are still here, ready to show you our latest discoveries and experiences of accessible tourism. Some of you will remember that last year we talked about the sculptures by the Scottish artist Philip Colbert exhibited for a few months in Naples, in the square of the Certosa di San Martino and which represented in a funny way a cartoon version of lobsters that had been humanized in a certain way. Well this year, until 04.01.2024, the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) (*) is hosting the HOUSE OF THE LOBSTER exhibition dedicated to Philip Colbert's cute creatures, however seen from a perspective of relationship with classical antiquity , as is well explained in this text taken from the museum's website: British artist Philip Colbert was born in Scotland and today lives and works in London. Thanks to the character of the lobster in a cartoon version and his masterful hyper-pop historical paintings, he boasts a global following. His work forcefully explores the models of contemporary digital culture, with which he weaves a deeper historical-artistic dialogue. His obsession with the lobster is rooted in the historical symbolism that the lobster embodies in art, language and time. In HOUSE OF THE LOBSTER, Colbert pays homage to the roots of lobster mythology through a fascinating series of works inspired by the Museum's collection of mosaics from Pompeii. The exhibition not only illustrates the significance of the lobster throughout the history of art, but also contemplates the broader themes of mortality, conflict and the cyclical nature of existence. At the center of the exhibition is a mosaic of marine fauna, with a battle between a lobster, a moray eel and an octopus in the centre. The profound meaning of this intricate conflict, says the artist, led him to produce the underwater fight scenes from the Pompeii series (2023 – present) exhibited here. Colbert explores the timeless struggle symbolized in the mosaic by the lobster, moray eel and octopus, weaving a narrative of perpetual conflict. And then we begin to see some images of these sculptures, which alternate with very lively oil paintings on canvas, with some references to myths and legends of classical culture such as Perseus and the Medusa or Theseus and the Minotaur:
And this horse is inspired, by explicit indication of the artist, by the horse in Picasso's Guernica:
Funny, right? It is an exhibition that you can also bring children to, who will appreciate these funny cartoon animals and perhaps will also be happy with a tasty breakfast in the Museum cafeteria.
For our part, we greet you and meet you for the next post in which we will explore another important MANN exhibition. See you soon!!
(*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for disabled people
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