GESTI SCOLPITI di JAGO al Parco Archeologico di Taormina

The personal exhibition "Gesti Scolpiti" (Sculpted Gestures) by the sculptor Jago, continues successfully at the picturesque Ancient Theater of Taormina until May 3, 2026. The exhibition, organized by Aditus and Civita Sicilia in collaboration with BAM, presents four works by Jago—Impronta Animale (2012), Memoria (2015), Prigione (2016), and David (2024, bronze)—in a context like Taormina, a crossroads of civilizations and a theater of ancient memories. Jago's works are inserted as sculpted gestures in time, bearing witness to a continuous expressive necessity that transcends epochs 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 a human being leaves a mark, delves into the material, and constructs memory. Not just an instrument, but a self-portrait: a living presence that traverses time. In Impronta Animale, the hand becomes a relic: a primordial mark that echoes cave paintings, evoking an ancestral connection with the Earth and our profound history. Memoria presents a handprint carved into stone. The work reflects on memory and heritage, making the trace of human presence tangible 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 just outlined, while the limbs extend with a strong sense of tension. The gesture is everything: urgency of existence, a symbol of the struggle to break free from constraints.

The fourth sculpture is David, made in bronze and 181 cm tall. The work symbolically arrived at the splendid theater overlooking the sea and is currently displayed atop the tiers of the Ancient Theater after having traveled around the world aboard the ship Amerigo Vespucci. The imposing bronze work carries the weight of an epic and contemporary narration, reinterpreting the myth of David and Goliath in a modern key to tell a different story, yet still full of courage and revenge. The iconography is recognizable in the proud posture of the female figure (reminiscent of Michelangelo's famous David), in the sling and stone she holds in her hands—elements that return as recurring signs in the artist's recent masterpieces. The project of David began in 2021 with a first clay sketch made by hand. From that initial image, various versions in clay and plaster were created, culminating in the current model, translated into bronze through the ancient technique of lost wax casting. The final version, sculpted in Carrara marble and over 4 meters tall, will represent a milestone in Jago's artistic journey, engaging him in a true endeavor.

During the inauguration of the exhibition on September 4, 2025, in front of more than a thousand spectators, the artist performed a gesture destined to spark discussion. Armed with adhesive tape, Jago covered the nudity and mouth of his David in protest against yet another censorship by Meta, which had blocked social content related to the work, equating it with pornographic images. The action initially surprised the audience—some of whom mistook him for a vandal—only to elicit applause once the artist's identity and the meaning of the provocation were clarified.

"I do not accept that AI decides what to censor and what not to. For this reason, I have decided to self-censor," Jago declared. Currently, the sculpture still presents with adhesive tape; it will be at the artist's discretion to decide when to return the work to its original appearance.