Fabulae Romanae

Fabulae Romanae (Roman Tales) consisted of 9 Spirit sculptures, 7 Dome Dwelling sculptures, 21 large format drawings and a video of a performance. The work was presented at a solo exhibition and in a publication of Studio Orta for the MAXXI Museum, which inaugurated ZegnArt, the new program of contemporary art, and evolved from a commission by Gruppo Ermenegildo Zegna in 2011. The sculptures used textiles as a medium to reference clothing and took the form of wearable tents informed by previous research, including ‘Refuge Wear’ and ‘Body Architecture’.

Locating the research in Rome, the Ortas chose the Seven Hills to reinterpret the symbolic and sacred form of the dome to make a site-specific video-performance staged on location in Rome, with a commissioned soundtrack by M. Petrucci. They drew upon myths, stories, archaeological and historical documents and observations of the multiethnic social map of the city made during field visits. The ‘Spirits’ took on multiple identities/characteristics, mirroring the archeological layers of the city and tracing a metaphorical map to suggest new trajectories for the Seven Hills. These ethereal sentinels are symbolically entrusted with the task of restoring the vital breath of the city.

Fabulae Romanae is a complex installation dedicated to the city of Rome and specifically designed for MAXXI museum, an icon of the contemporary city. The exhibition was held within the new display of the MAXXI Arte collection, “Tridimensionale” from 22nd March to 23rd September 2012.
The research process manifests itself in over 100 drawings of Spirits of which seventeen were fabricated for the museum exhibition and the video-performance. The video-performance was staged on location in Rome, mirroring the archeological layers of the city and tracing a metaphorical map of the city to suggest new trajectories for the seven hills.

The voice soundtrack of the film is a bi-lingual (Italian/English) piece of poetry by M. Petrucci, commissioned specifically to create a dialogue with the performance, further reinforcing the metaphorical nature of the objects in dialogue/interaction with the architectural or archeological sites: (Traveler) Castel Sant'Angelo bridge and Trastevere; (Observer) MAXXI, Sacro Cuore dei Monti and Isola Tiberina; (Tunneler and Myth Maker) the Roman Villa Gregoriana Park.

A book Fabulae Romanae was published by Marsilio Editore to coincide with the exhibition

For information on the related monograph publication, see: http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/6276/.

ZegnArt purchased three works for their collection and donated one to the MAXXI permanent collection. ‘Fabulae Romanae’ led to the development of a further eight public sculptures using the technique of body scanning and 3D visualisation. Five in this later series, ‘Spirits of the Huveaune’, commissioned for a 30km trail along the Huveaune River in France, coincided with the Marseille European Cultural Capital 2013. These were installed between 2012-13 and acquired by five district councils of Marseille-Provence. One was commissioned by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK and installed in 2013 with two further sculptures installed in Les Moulins Centre in France in 2013.

• http://www.zegnart.com/lucy-jorge-orta-f...
• http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/?lang=en
• http://www.studio-orta.com
• http://youtu.be/mMIwIVrJU6U
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEATB_NBB...