Botticelli’s ‘Birth Of Venus’ Steps Into The Present As An Influencer For Italy
Italy is a destination filled with the wonders of nature and a stake in history that is quite unlike any other. Many revere its historical art scene, and many travelers flock to the nation to bask in the glory of works done by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Carravagio, and Sandro Botticelli.
Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, in particular, has been central to recent discourse after the Ministero del Turismo turned the titular subject into an influencer who has stepped off her clamshell and is now touring around the country.
The campaign places the iconic Venus in modern-day clothes and has her pose and take selfies in front of various Italian landmarks, such as the Colosseum in Rome and Piazza San Marco in Venice. In her debut post, she introduces herself and claims she’s slightly older than 30 and a virtual influencer. So what does that mean, you ask? She answers by saying she will take you through Italy’s colorful spirit.
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This means posts of the historical art subject sitting and having a slice of pizza on Lake Como and telling you the different local cuisines of various districts in the country. Never thought you’d be getting travel advice from Venus? Neither did the locals.
According to The Art Newspaper, in the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, art historian Tomaso Montanari called the campaign, which had been done up by the Armando Testa communications group, “grotesque.” In the same report, it was also pointed out that stock footage of Slovenia was used in the promotional video.
In La Repubblica, undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi criticized the title—Open to Meraviglia, or Open to Wonder—of it, stating that the language did not make any sense. In regards to its language, many others claimed that it also inaccurately mistranslated different town names into other languages. For example, areas such as Cento and Brindisi were translated into “Hundert” (hundred) and “Toast” in German.
While one could see the direction behind using Venus as a spokesperson for the country, it reduced her role as a symbol in the art world to being nothing more than an influencer instead of a great inspiration. Furthermore, according to Artnet News, art historian Livia Garomersini added that the campaign trivialized Italy’s heritage.
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The Birth of Venus is currently located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. While the museum has not spoken out, the city’s mayor, Dario Nardella, has stated that the country is fighting against the tasteless representation of historical work, such as souvenir aprons with David’s private parts.
[via Artnet News and The Art Newspaper, cover image via Ministero del Turismo]
