" Names of Gods "
Archeology Museum of Nice / Cimiez
May - September 2023
Urban site, urban art
In the setting of the famous remains of the ancient city of Cemenelum (now Cimiez), "Names of Gods" makes history.
For the first time, the archaeological museum of Nice / Cimiez becomes the playground of a street artist.
At 27 years old, Cesar Malfi, known for his anachronistic mural masterpieces in disproportionate formats, interprets with panache a high place in history. "The urban space is a plastic medium in its own right, whether in the 21st century or in antiquity," he says. Beyond his young experience, he offers us a plastic illustration of history charged with maturity. The young artist questions the place and role of deities in public space by waltzing on modern notes a ball of ancient deities.
In order not to betray his method and his urban gesture by nature, César has realized with a masterly aesthetic all the works of the exhibition in situ. Behind this gesture lies his unfailing desire to share with the viewer the technical and intellectual richness of artistic creation.
In an azure chromatic atmosphere, he invites you to take place as a major actor of the exhibition. With plastic tools or your smartphone you will participate in an unusual cultural experience !
THE FORUM'S DANCE, CENTRAL WORK
The first artistic proposal built by César MALFI puts you in the shoes of a Street Artist. In a dreamlike transposition of the Roman Forum square (iconic place of meeting and exchange between all), the artistic installation will take shape throughout the exhibition according to the talents of expression of the visitors. During this walk between ancient and modern columns, Caesar offers the viewer a leading role in the realization of the final work. Just as the Forum was a place of exchange, visitors are free to express themselves in the dedicated space.
This creative experience marks the starting point of a stroll to the Forum Ball, the central work of the exhibition. The Forum Ball is a poetic interpretation of the transcendental dimension of art in the public space through the different periods of history. The cube-shaped structure continues the contemporary analogy of the Roman Forum.
Covered with frescoes painted with aerosol and realized in situ by the artist, it asserts the role of meeting place of the public square by gathering ancient deities, modern citizens and timeless artists, in an audacious graphic arrhythmia.
It is an invitation to reflect on the need for the preservation of cultural heritage and its integration in our world of today and tomorrow. The artist sought to capture the essence of that distant era in a modern artwork that calls on viewers to explore their own relationship with the treasures of art history.
"I imagined it as a reverence to the timeless beauty of antiquity and a celebration of contemporary creativity". Cesar Malfi
Augmented reality
This part of the exhibition is undoubtedly the most representative of the historical shock that Cesar wanted to create. It invites the viewer to walk through the remains of the ancient site of Cemenelum in a striking virtual experience.
Concerned about the preservation of this heritage treasure and driven by the need to put ancient works back into the center of consideration, Cesar uses new technological media.
"By proposing this experience, I wanted to reconcile the protection of our cultural heritage and the construction of the creative future" he says.
Artificial intelligence
Using new technologies, the young urban plastician seeks to test the limits of this field of creative possibilities and questions the role and place of artificial intelligence in the art world.
Inside the museum, the artist proposes a fascinating exploration of the relationship between art and technology. He solicits artificial intelligence to adopt the vision of an ancient artist, asking it to create the most graceful representation of beauty and charm possible, just as ancient sculptors were once tasked with creating representations of Venus.
By drawing this parallel between ancient and modern art, this work raises questions about the evolution of creativity and artistic expression through the ages. The use of advanced artificial intelligence technology suggests to the viewer to reflect on how dehumanized intellectual constructs interact with traditional modes of creation.
This work is also imbued with a remarkable historical depth, reminding us that one of the earliest sculptures on Earth was a representation of a woman (Venus of Wilendorf, -24,000 BC). This reference to art history underscores the long tradition of representing female beauty in art.
