La mostra Gesti Scolpiti di Jago al Teatro Antico di Taormina fino al 30 giugno 2026

In light of the great success already recorded and the interest, curiosity, and participation it has inspired since its opening, the exhibition "Gesti Scolpiti" by Jago at the Ancient Theatre of Taormina will be open for visitors until June 30, 2026. The summer season represents the ideal moment for an outing to the city of Taormina, in the heart of Sicily, a land of light, history, and timeless beauty, where colors, shadows, and atmospheres enhance the dialogue between the works and the landscape, making the visit even more intense and engaging.

In the emblematic context provided by the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, four works by Jago – Impronta Animale (Animal Print) (2012), Memoria (Memory) (2015), Prigione (Prison) (2016), and David (2024, bronze) – stand out as gestures carved in time, witnesses to an expressive necessity that transcends epochs and languages.

Among these works, David, an imposing bronze sculpture standing 181 cm tall, particularly captivates the attention of the public and critics alike. It is exhibited at the top of the stands of the Ancient Theatre after completing a world tour aboard the ship Amerigo Vespucci. This is the first bronze sculpture created by Jago, marking a significant transition in his artistic journey and opening him up to a new material dimension. The work reinterprets the myth of David and Goliath in modern terms through a proud and determined female figure, who – with the sling and stone firmly in hand – explicitly evokes Michelangelo's famous David. The project began in 2021 with an initial clay sketch made by hand. From that initial image, several versions in clay and plaster were developed, leading to the current model, cast in bronze using the ancient technique of lost-wax casting. The final version, sculpted in Carrara marble and standing over 4 meters tall, will represent a milestone in Jago's artistic journey, committing him to a true endeavor.

The other three sculptures, carved in statuary marble, revolve around the theme of the hand: a symbol of contact, creation, and personal affirmation. It is through the hand that human beings leave a mark, delve into materiality, and construct memory. Not only a tool, but an entity in its own right.

In Impronta Animale, the hand becomes a relic: a primordial mark that recalls cave paintings, evoking an ancestral connection to 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 prison of stone. The contours of the human figure are barely defined, while the limbs extend with a strong sense of tension. The gesture is everything: an urgency of existence, symbolizing the struggle to free oneself from what confines.

The evocative power of the sculptures interacts with the historical stratification of the place, demonstrating the ability of Jago's sculptures—and, more broadly, contemporary sculpture—to interrogate the past and resonate in the present.

The success of the exhibition, evidenced by broad public participation and an expanding press coverage, represents a significant added value for Sicily, which—even in the summer season—will offer visitors from around the world the unique opportunity to live an immersive experience between art and history.