Jan Fabre – Per Eusebia
Electa 2023
English version of the catalogue by Scriptum
Jan Fabre is back in Naples with two new permanent installations with which the symbolic and poetic language of the great Flemish artist truly pays homage to the tradition and spirituality of the city.
After realizing four coral sculptures for the Pio Monte della Misericordia, in dialogue with Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Seven Acts of Mercy, the artist has now ventured into two hugely important places for the city and its inhabitants: the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius and the church of the Purgatorio ad Arco.
Coral also features in these two striking new works that, relying on traditional Neapolitan craftsmanship, highlight how contemporary art can enhance its use at the highest level.
The book brings together critical essays on Fabre’s new permanent installations as well as art historical insights into the two religious venues and their history; the evocative dialogue that the works entertain with architectural and sculptural details of the exhibition spaces is highlighted by an extensive photographic documentation.