Korè-Arni Fantastico

Korè-Arni Fantastico is a life-size sculpture by contemporary Italian artist Mattia Bosco. It is part of the “Korai” series and was made in Arni Fantastico marble.

This artwork is part of a group of twelve sculptures, comprising nine korai, designed specifically for Mattia Bosco’s solo exhibition “Korai” from 22 September 2023 to 14 January 2024 in the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum in Rome.
Each artwork in the “Korai” series is identical in shape, but made from a different exceptional marble: Cipollino d’Elbe, Fantastico d’Arni, Rosso Collemandina, Portoro, Bardiglio, the sculptural marble from Michelangelo’s quarry… These marbles are typical of the period of imperial Roman architecture, in perfect harmony with the essence of the place that will house them for the duration of the exhibition: the Temple of Venus and Rome, an immense sacred building inaugurated in 136 AD.
Mattia Bosco explains the project behind this event: “In the temple in Rome, nine human-sized sculptures are arranged in a circle, made of different marbles but with the same formal layout, at once similar and distinct, which I have called ‘Kòrai’ because they have the hieratic presence of the virgins of ancient Greek sculpture“.
The korai resonate deeply with the Temple of Venus and Rome. The ancient inhabitants of the Temple seem to have returned, but in a completely different, contemporary form, born of the sculptor’s hands.
Arni Fantastico marble comes from the Apuan Alps, a mountain range in northwestern Tuscany. The region is renowned for its historic quarries, which have been in use since ancient times. It is named after the picturesque village of Arni, located in the mountains. This marble is characterised by a white background and dark sparkling veins interspersed with shades ranging from pale yellow and mauve, through peach and pink, to anthracite grey and deep green.
Some of the visuals for the sculpture were taken at the time of its creation on the Isle of Elba. The dust covering the work at the time explains the difference in colour from the other photographs.

This video was shot at the opening of the exhibition in Rome.

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