Michael Stipe finds strength in vulnerability in a new exhibition debuting in Italy next month.
ADVERTISEMENTMichael Stipe, the lead vocalist of iconic American band R.E.M., whose hit songs ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Everybody Hurts’, ‘Man on the Moon’ and ‘Nightswimming’ were all over the airwaves in the 90s, will present his first museum exhibition at Fondazione ICA Milano, Italy.
The show, entitled “I have lost and I have been lost but for now I’m flying high,” will be on view from 12 December to 16 March 2024.
In a display mixing brand-new and existing, but never-shown works, Stipe will gather a “large self-portrait composed of portraits,” according to the foundation’s description of the exhibition, which marks the artist’s first in an Italian museum.
All undated, these pieces will range from a series of minimalist plaster busts and rounded, abstract forms painted with pigment-filled spray bottles, to photographs made with silver gelatin on fiber, as well as ceramics, books, and a video installation.
Curated by Alberto Salvadori, the exhibiton will offer a comprehensive look at Stipe’s introspective practice. It will feature work inspired by notable artists like Constantin Brancusi, Bruce Nauman, and Marisa Merz - artists who informed Stipe’s own creations, forming a dialogue between his influences and his unique artistic voice.
The exhibition will also include a new book of Stripe’s photographs, published by Damiani Books and the foundation.
The thematic impetus of the exhibition is inspired by Max Ehrmann’s 1927 poem “Desiderata,” which encourages the creation of serenity through acceptance of fragility.
Stipe finds strength in vulnerability and considers it a guiding force in contemporary art. He explains so much in a dialogue with the curator published in the exhibition booklet:
“Vulnerability becomes a superpower in this dynamic. A map that describes the difficulties of our present, highlighting new opportunities and a renewed understanding of our importance, not only for ourselves, but also for those around us, for our communities, for our world. In this moment I choose to focus on the most precious possession, on the brilliance, beauty and playfulness of life. I’ve lost and I’ve lost myself, but for now I’m flying high.”
“I have lost and I have been lost but for now I’m flying high” - Fondazione ICA Milano, Milan, Italy - 12 December to 16 March 2024.
