Roberto Ciroli (Italian b.1969) La Gabbia, The Cage, 2015
La Gabbia is emblematic of Ciroli’s celebrated oeuvre, utilising his distinctive figures to delve into the complexities of the human condition. In this sculpture the white male figures are depicted ascending the branches of a sparse, feather-like tree, seemingly striving to reach new heights.
Ideas of suspension, lightness, and flight are conjured up by the whirling mass of white bodies. However, as the title, La Gabbia (The Cage), implies, and perhaps unbeknownst to the figures themselves, there is a limit to their exploration, for they are, of course, encased in a cage.
The Cage may be interpreted as a structure that restricts their movements, and in turn limiting their aspirations and ambitions. Conversely, it could be seen to offer a form of protection from the external world. Although the figures may appear trapped, they are simultaneously supported by the structure which surrounds them.
From the very beginning of his artistic practice, and upon graduation from Brera Art Academy in Milan in 1994, Ciroli has been deeply engaged with the exploration of the human form. A central theme in his work is how the human figure acquires its own autonomy, simply mimicking the real world around it. Solitude and darkness are central to Ciroli’s practice, as is the juxtaposition of freedom and confinement.
The Cage is found on one of the garden’s upper terraces, and from a distance the edges of the cage are barely visible, instead the sculpture appears to form part of the flowerbed. In this manner, despite the deep philosophical ideas that are imbued within the piece, it merges with the surrounding landscape in an organic way.