Record storico di ingressi per la mostra "Gesti Scolpiti" di Jago a Taormina

The opening of the major exhibition "Gesti Scolpiti" by sculptor Jago, inaugurated on September 3, 2025, in the unique setting of the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, is enjoying unprecedented success. The public's interest, curiosity, and appreciation have translated into record numbers: on Sunday, September 7 alone, 5,700 entries were recorded; in the same month of 2024, the average daily entries ranged between 3,500 and 4,500. This result marks a historic record for the Archaeological Park of Taormina and shows no sign of slowing down. It is a testament to the extraordinary ability of contemporary art to engage in dialogue with the ancient heritage of the area.

The exhibition, which combines the evocative power of Jago's sculptures with the allure of the archaeological context, has already established itself in its first few days as one of the year's most significant cultural events in Sicily and on the national stage.

Regarding this extraordinary result, Orazio Micali, the Director of the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, stated: "Our time, compressed between extremes that disorient and detract from the balance of existence, finds refuge and consolation in art. Each soul, without any difference, experiences vibrations and emotions without barriers and ideologies, seeking in the artwork that which unites rather than divides. The numerous presences, more than ever, are a silent but determined testimony to the primary and indispensable value of culture as a universal engine because it is destined for eternity."

In the emblematic context of Taormina, a crossroads of civilizations and a theater of ancient memories, four of Jago's works are brought into dialogue: Impronta Animale (2012), Memoria (2015), Prigione (2016), and David (2024, bronze). Here, the evocative sculptures stand as gestures carved in time, witnesses to a continuous expressive necessity that transcends eras and languages.

The first three sculptures, carved in statuary marble, revolve around the theme of the hand: a symbol of contact, creation, personal affirmation. It is through the hand that the human being leaves a mark, delves into matter, and builds memory. Not just an instrument, but a self-portrait: a living presence that traverses time.

In Impronta Animale, the hand becomes an artifact: a primordial mark that recalls cave paintings, evoking an ancestral connection with the earth and our deep history. Memoria, presents a handprint carved into stone. The work reflects on memory and legacy, making tangible the trace of human presence as a symbol of permanence and remembrance. In Prigione, the sculpted image, wrapped in the folds of marble, seems to want to emerge from a stone prison. The contours of the human figure are barely outlined, while the limbs extend with a strong sense of tension. The gesture is all: urgency of existence, symbol of the struggle to break free from what confines.

The fourth sculpture is David, made in bronze and standing 181 cm tall. The work has symbolically arrived in the splendid theater overlooking the sea and is currently displayed at the top of the Ancient Theatre's stands after completing a world tour aboard the ship Amerigo Vespucci. The imposing bronze work carries the weight of an epic and contemporary narrative, reinterpreting the myth of David and Goliath in a modern key to tell a different story, yet always filled with courage and defiance. The iconography is recognizable in the proud posture of the female figure (recalling the famous David by Michelangelo), in the sling and the stone she holds in her hands — elements that recur as recurring signs in the artist's latest masterpieces. The David project began in 2021 with a first clay sketch made by hand. From that initial image, various versions in clay and plaster were created, leading up to the current model, translated into bronze through the ancient lost-wax casting technique. The final version, carved in Carrara marble and over 4 meters tall, will represent the milestone of Jago's artistic journey, engaging him in a true endeavor.

The exhibition, organized by Aditus and Civita Sicilia, in collaboration with BAM, will remain open to the public until May 3, 2026.