Francesco Simeti

Francesco Simeti
At the court of the owl
2022
Tapestry woven in wool, silk, recycled plastic
Woven by Giovanni Bonotto

Elleboro
2022
Tapestry woven in wool, silk, recycled plastic
Woven by Giovanni Bonotto

Phantázō
2022
Ceramic, stoneware

In the corridor of the Piano Nobile, the tapestries and ceramic decorations by Francesco Simeti (1968) create a sequence of images inspired by the history of the building and by Etruscan artefacts.

The artist uses the tapestry technique as a tribute to the two large tapestries that once decorated this space, now lost. The original works depicted “Chinese-style” scenes with pagodas, musicians and figures in oriental dress.

Simeti takes up the format and some details of those historical models but transforms them completely: the new protagonists belong to a contemporary world, shaped by changes in taste, culture and the relationships between different civilisations.

The artist also explores the relationship between humankind and nature, in which nature appears both fragile and powerful, victim and protagonist of issues such as climate change and the pandemic.

With his mastery of technique and materials, Francesco Simeti combines beauty, memory and reflection on the present.