Francesco Arena

With Self-Portrait—Statua (... as Head), Arena questions the essence and function of the statue, transforming it into a form of self-portrait. The work consists of a bronze pedestal cast to the height of the artist's head, upon which visitors are invited to place an object of their choice. Each time the object is replaced, the title of the work changes accordingly, making the pedestal a flexible and evolving support that offers new perspectives on the object's use and its symbolic and material significance. Although cast in bronze and painted white, the pedestal appears to be made of wood, creating a visual ambiguity that contrasts the permanence of the material with the apparent fragility of its appearance.