In Piazza Municipio, in Naples, a huge Venus of the Rags was set up for the occasion of Napoli Contemporanea (Contemporary Naples). The initiative – which in addition to Michelangelo Pistoletto also involved names such as Antonio Marras and Gaetano Pesce – was promoted by the municipal administration and curated by Councillor Vincenzo Trione to strengthen the link between city institutions and contemporary art, and consists of site-specific installations and exhibitions scattered throughout the city.

The great version of Pistoletto’s Venus – made in 1967 and now on display in Rome in the Bramante Cloister – wants to invite us to reflect on consumerism and on the trap of continuing to produce, buy, consume, and throw away of which we still remain dependent.