Triumphs and Laments
William Kentridge’s latest project for Rome is called Triumphs and Laments. He will transform with a 1800 foot long frieze, the Tiber waterfront into a crazy-long work: 80 figures, 30 feet high. The story on the wall will tell Rome’s Greatest Victories and Defeats.
The inaugural ceremony will take place on April 21st 2016 for Rome’s birthday.
Kristin Jones, the artistic director conceived this whole thing,” she said “It’s the dream of my life.” She won a Fulbright Scholarship to travel to Rome in 1983. She was interested in public art, and an instructor had advised her to see what the city had in store. Jones was stunned by Rome’s beauty and architecture.
In 2004, Jones founded TEVERETERNO, a non-profit organization to produce cultural events in Rome and encourage artistic expression. She believes that contemporary art can be a vehicle for urban renewal and environmental awareness. As a New Yorker, Jones has seen organizations such as Creative Time and the Public Art Fund erect meaningful public work. She lamented the lack of similar funding in Rome and decided to create her own “urban place-making project.”
