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Lares Familiares

by Sonia Lenzi

Photographs: Sonia Lenzi

Text: Gerry Badger

Publisher: Giannini Editore

32 pages

Year: 2016

ISBN: 978-88-7431-840-7

Price: 22 €

Comments: Softcover, 15x21 cm

In the Roman world, and therefore in the Vesuvian area, the lares were divinities who assured protection and luck for the families to whom they belonged, thus were given an honoured place at the heart of the house, in a special shrine, the lararium. This practice bears more than a passing relationship with the neighbourhood and familial kiosks, the votive shrines in the old quarters of Naples. The aim of Sonia Lenzi’s work it is not only to examine the fascination link between these traditions, but to actually bring them together, and in essence demolish the centuries in between. The lares of the Museum collection become three-dimensional photographic objects that some families of the Quartieri Spagnoli, Rione Sanità, Forcella and Mercato have placed in the shrines within their guardianship. In this way these ancient bronze statuettes have been put “back to work”, so to speak, adding their voices to the others interceding in the kiosks for the departed. But Sonia Lenzi has also created contemporary lararia, making seven contemporary ‘kiosks’, so that the two traditions can be placed side by side. All Lenzi’s work is about interaction and connection, within the domestic family certainly, but also within the larger family that is society. She is concerned with the relationships between people, between cultural traditions, between eras. Many of her projects contain what might be termed a ‘performing’ aspect, an active element. Foreword by Marco De Gemmis, critical essay by Gerry Badger and “backstage” by Claudia Procentese.

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look inside

Lares Familiares

by Sonia Lenzi

Photographs: Sonia Lenzi

Text: Gerry Badger

Publisher: Giannini Editore

32 pages

Year: 2016

ISBN: 978-88-7431-840-7

Price: 22 €

Comments: Softcover, 15x21 cm

In the Roman world, and therefore in the Vesuvian area, the lares were divinities who assured protection and luck for the families to whom they belonged, thus were given an honoured place at the heart of the house, in a special shrine, the lararium. This practice bears more than a passing relationship with the neighbourhood and familial kiosks, the votive shrines in the old quarters of Naples. The aim of Sonia Lenzi’s work it is not only to examine the fascination link between these traditions, but to actually bring them together, and in essence demolish the centuries in between. The lares of the Museum collection become three-dimensional photographic objects that some families of the Quartieri Spagnoli, Rione Sanità, Forcella and Mercato have placed in the shrines within their guardianship. In this way these ancient bronze statuettes have been put “back to work”, so to speak, adding their voices to the others interceding in the kiosks for the departed. But Sonia Lenzi has also created contemporary lararia, making seven contemporary ‘kiosks’, so that the two traditions can be placed side by side. All Lenzi’s work is about interaction and connection, within the domestic family certainly, but also within the larger family that is society. She is concerned with the relationships between people, between cultural traditions, between eras. Many of her projects contain what might be termed a ‘performing’ aspect, an active element. Foreword by Marco De Gemmis, critical essay by Gerry Badger and “backstage” by Claudia Procentese.

More books by Sonia Lenzi

more books tagged »Italy« | >> see all

more books tagged »memory« | >> see all

more books tagged »Italian« | >> see all

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