Starting Oct. 6, at the entrance to the Milan Triennale, visitors are greeted by a new protagonist: a monumental papier-mâché hippo created by Jacopo Allegrucci. The work, which will remain on view until Nov. 9, concludes the exhibition cycle dedicated to the series The Fragility of the Future, an integral part of the 24th Inequalities International Exhibition. The project, which was inaugurated in recent months, brought to the spaces of the Triennale four large-scale sculptures dedicated to four endangered animals, specially created by Allegrucci for the occasion.
The hippopotamus is the fourth and last sculpture in the cycle to make an appearance, following theNamibian elephant, the blue whale and Rothschild’s giraffe, works that gradually occupied the Triennale spaces over the course of the exhibition. With its arrival, the hippo takes the place of the giraffe, which in turn joins the elephant in the Triennial Garden. It is there that, at the end of the Exposition, all the sculptures in the series will be reunited, with the exception of the blue whale, which was destroyed last July in an act of vandalism(article here).
Through theuse of paper mache, Allegrucci introduces an additional layer of meaning. The choice of a recyclable and perishable material, often associated with the ephemeral, becomes an integral part of the artistic discourse. The inherent fragility of papier-mâché, subject to deterioration over time and weathering, creates a direct parallel with the precarious condition of the species represented. In this way, each sculpture is presented as a symbol of the vulnerability of the entire ecological balance of the planet. The series also fits fully into the central theme of Inequalities, the 24th International Exhibition of the Milan Triennale, which explores the many forms of inequality that characterize the present. Allegrucci’s works also invite reflection on ecological inequalities, highlighting how the relationship between humanity and the environment is marked by deep asymmetries. Some species are decimated by human activities, others suffer the destruction of their habitats, while the effects of climate change alter entire ecosystems in irreversible ways. Through his monumental sculptures, Allegrucci thus emphasizes collective responsibility and the urgency of rethinking our relationship with the natural world.
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| Allegrucci's hippo, the latest work in the series, arrives at the Milan Triennale |
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