Sally Smart, a prominent Australian artist, has brought her dynamic creativity to the forefront as she collaborates with the luxury Italian fashion house, Marni. Smart’s artistic journey began in 1997, and she has since gained international recognition for her innovative approach. Her work spans various mediums, including collage, large-scale installations, performance, and video, exploring themes such as identity politics, the human body, home, and history. Marni, known for its artistic collaborations, has chosen Smart’s art for their latest collection, following in the footsteps of other notable collaborations with artists like Richard Prince, Gary Hume, and Matteo Thun.
For their Pre/Fall Women’s 2017 and Men’s Fall/Winter 2017 Collections, Marni incorporated Smart’s “The Choreography of Cutting” series, featuring vivid depictions of dancing figures. Her art adorns jersey t-shirts, satin dresses, bags, sweatshirts, and poplin shirts, infusing Marni’s fashion with her distinct style. Smart’s most recent project reimagines the avant-garde Ballets Russes, blending textile assemblages with artisan-made embroideries and screen-printed metal.
The Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum in Rome, under the guidance of Massimo Osanna, is celebrating the European Heritage Days 2023 with the exhibition, “The Artists House / La Casa degli Artisti. L’arte ‘viva’ di Sally Smart,” in collaboration with PostmastersROMA. Sally Smart, a renowned Australian contemporary artist, known for her installations, performances, videos, and textile works exploring the relationships between body, thought, and culture, takes center stage.
Sally’s artworks seamlessly integrate with the historic Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum, housed in an early 20th-century eclectic-style villa that was once inhabited by the Boncompagni Ludovisi family. The exhibition weaves a rich narrative, echoing the themes found in the museum’s rooms and its art collection. Smart’s contemporary pieces engage with the museum’s 17th-century Flemish tapestries and pay homage to the trompe l’oeil frescoes of the Salone delle Vedute, harkening back to the splendor of the ancient Horti Sallustiani and the vanished Villa Ludovisi.
Smart’s sculptures embody characters drawn from everyday life, art history, and mythology, from fauns to harlequins, exuding elements of the uncanny and surreal. These multifaceted sculptures and tapestries capture various epochs in the history of theater, dance, and performance, from ancient Greco-Roman tragedies to the Commedia dell’Arte of the 16th century and the early 20th-century Ballets Russes.
The exhibition is curated by Matilde Amaturo, Valentina Filamingo, Eugenia Carabba Tettamanti, and Paulina Bebecka, offering visitors a captivating journey through the intersection of art, history, and culture. Sally Smart’s innovative vision and artistic expression shine brightly, leaving an indelible mark on this captivating collaboration and exhibition.
Photograpy by Alessandro Asciutto
