A new message of openness to contemporary art characterized the proposal of the Uffizi Galleries in the Boboli Gardens of Florence for the summer of 2020 where the artist Lorenzo Quinn, famous worldwide for his “Hands”, presented the first-ever premiere of his work “Give”. Lorenzo Quinn is one of the leading contemporary exponents of figurative sculpture and Once Extraordinary Events handled the artistic direction and coordination of the project. His monumental works, as well as his more intimate ones, convey a passion for values related to concepts such as nature and sustainability. His goal is to arouse an emotion and induce reflection. Such was the case in Venice in 2017 when his “Hands” emerged from the Grand Canal to support Ca’ Sagredo, raising public awareness about climate change and the threat of the sea to the lagoon city. A work that was not included in the Biennale calendar, but which was enthusiastically received by the public, by tourists, and pushed Venetians themselves to adopt it as a message to help their city.

Concept
For Florence, Lorenzo Quinn came up with a new message: “Give”, that is, to give without receiving. The inspiration has matured from the relationship between humanity, the world and particularly nature which has always given and continues to give without expecting anything in return. Inspired by great masters such as Michelangelo, Bernini and Rodin, Lorenzo Quinn continues on his own creative path by constantly elaborating on the content that inspires him most. The hand always remains at the center of his work, symbolizing creativity, made with a sculpture technique that ranges from new materials to experimental ones, as in the case of “Give” made of resin and recycled material, wanting to convey a message about the content that is based precisely on the sustainability of the environment. The hand of a man joins that of a woman to convey the value of giving, the bearers of a message of peace addressed to humanity and symbolized by an olive tree. Peace for a land tormented by famine, put to the test by the effects of the pandemic and constantly threatened by social tensions and winds of war. The exhibition was made possible thanks to the collaboration with the Uffizi Galleries and thanks to the support of the Ginevra Olivetti Rason Foundation.

After the great success thus achieved in Boboli, the installation was placed in the prestigious setting of the Cathedral of the city of Palermo, the city most open to this dialogue in the Mediterranean. “Give” symbolizes a message of peace and social cohesion. A message which, approaching the Christmas holidays, acquires even more strength in a year that was put to the test by the global pandemic. With Palermo he completes the symbolic embrace that the artist wants to give to his hometown before the final placement of the work in the city of contemporary art of par excellence: Pietrasanta. The exhibition was made possible thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Palermo, the Archdiocese of Palermo and thanks to the contribution of Banca Mediolanum.

The donation of the work to the city of Pietrasanta was made possible thanks to Halcyon Gallery.