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paola pivi inflates oversized, technicolor ladder within palazzo strozzi in florence
image courtesy of palazzo strozzi

 

 

 

paola pivi
palazzo strozzi, florence
now through february 28, 2016

 

 

within the courtyard of florence’s historic palazzo strozzi, italian artist paola pivi has inflated an oversized, colorful ladder that extends from the ground floor to the upper levels of the renaissance palace. the untitled project, on view from now until february 28, 2016, invades the architecture of the building, climbing more than 20 meters above visitors to the space. emphasizing the contrast between classic and contemporary, the technicolor steps alter the audience’s perception of reality by exhibiting an object that is distinctly out of place. 

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the installation climbs more than 20 meters above visitors to the space
image courtesy of palazzo strozzi

 

 

 

the entire palace becomes part of the bizarre and outlandish world pivi crafts, where the inflated ladder, devoid of all practical function, clashes with the controlled perspective of the palazzo’s renaissance architecture. over-scale, unstable, ephemeral and out of context, pivi’s vibrant installation delivers a reactionary shock, producing a surreal event that interrupts the traditional conventions of space to generate new and unexpected meanings.

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an oversized, colorful ladder extends from the ground floor to the upper levels of the renaissance palace
image courtesy of palazzo strozzi

paola-pivi-palazzo-strozzi-florence-italy-ladder-galerie-perrotind-designboom-03
the entire palace becomes part of the bizarre and outlandish world pivi crafts
image courtesy of palazzo strozzi

paola-pivi-palazzo-strozzi-florence-italy-ladder-galerie-perrotind-designboom-06
the ladder emphasizes the contrast between classic and contemporary
image courtesy of palazzo strozzi

paola-pivi-palazzo-strozzi-florence-italy-ladder-galerie-perrotind-designboom-01
the object produes a surreal event that interrupts the traditional conventions of space 
image courtesy of galerie perrotin 

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the technicolor steps alter the audience’s perception of reality
image courtesy of galerie perrotin