A pack of hundred wolves has taken over Piazza Pitti in Florence, showing their teeth and silently growling at the passersby. This is the giant installation of Chinese artist Liu Ruowang, whose title says it all: “Wolves coming”. It’ll be in Florence until 26th October 2020.
Beware of the wolves in Piazza Pitti
Piazza Pitti, the biggest one in the Oltrarno, is usually dotted with tourists waiting to visit the galleries inside Palazzo Pitti or the Boboli Garden. But now whoever ventures in this part of Florence, will have to face the menacing wolves that are prowling this majestic square.
The sculptures are made of iron, and weight around 280 kilograms each. Heavy is also the message they carry. They have travelled already to Venice and Naples, and now are showing Florence the dangers of contemporary society, the predatory excesses of human kind, the lack of respect towards the environment.
Chinese artist Liu Ruowang is very critical about our civilisation, the speed of everything, globalisation, the aggression on our planet. He has given voice to Nature. His wolves cannot growl, their snarl is mute, but they tell us an important story. The one of how dangerous it is for men to forget the natural limits, the excesses of our civilisation. Liu Ruowang is definitely not crying wolf. The danger is very much real.
“Wolves coming” is on until 26th October in Florence
There’s another installation – more wolves! – in Piazza SS. Annunziata. It’s very interesting to see how contemporary art interact with the ancient/old Florentine squares, with the palaces designed by Brunelleschi. An interaction between old and new, where visitors can interact with the sculptures freely, in a natural way, walking among them, looking from different angles , to really feel and live the work of art.
The installation is in collaboration with the City of Florence and the Uffizi Gallery. It also celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between Italy and China.
