An Art World Insider’s Guide to Milan, Venice, and Rome
With her blog Minnie Muse, Colby Mugrabi (née Jordan) explores the intersection of fashion and art–an appropriate content strategy considering the young insider spends her time wearing vintage Yves Saint Laurent with artist Damien Hirst and hitting the town with Venyx designer Eugenie Niarchos. Most recently, Mugrabi was in Italy, exploring the art scene in Milan, Venice, and Rome. Here, an inside look at some of her highlights.
1
“A view of ancient Rome. What a beautiful and historical city!”
2
“A jaw-dropping Bernini sculpture from the early 17th century, entitled Apollo and Daphne. The carved marble drapery truly looks like fabric fluttering in the wind.”
3
“A breathtaking fresco ceiling at the Villa Borghese.”
4
“Exploring Venice with my partner in crime Eugenie Niarchos, who was getting major inspiration for her amazing jewelry line VENYX. Here I am wearing a Prada dress from Spring 2011, white sneakers by The Row, and a furry little Nancy Gonzalez pouch.”
5
“In Venice I had the great pleasure of getting a peek at the renovation of the Church of San Sebastiano. Italian Renaissance painter Paolo Versonese began working on the church when he was 27 years old and completed the entire ceiling in just one year, beginning in 1556. Here’s a close-up on one of two monumental paintings in the process of being restored.”
6
“Damien Hirst has spent the past 10 years of his career conceiving his newly opened show Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, on view at Francois Pinault’s Palazzo Grassi and Punta Della Dogana until December. Hirst dreamt up a fantastical story of an ancient shipwreck carrying a boatload of precious treasures that had sunk in transit and was discovered centuries later by a group of explorers. A majority of the sculptures in the show exist in three forms; one, a coral version, as it appeared directly after being extracted from the sea; two, a treasure version, how the sculpture appears after being cleaned of the coral that had materialized on the work over thousands of years; and three, the copy version, which is the sculpture had it been fabricated today. Throughout the show there are numerous odes to contemporary culture, like this coralized sculpture of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. Although in the context of Hirst’s narrative this particular sculpture was buried at sea for thousands of years, the subjects of the piece being two 20th century icons results in a brilliant artistic contradiction that is oh-so Damien Hirst!”
7
“This is a coralized version of Damien’s self-portrait. In the scheme of the fantastical story the artist imagined, he plays the role of the ‘collector’ who amassed the large group of sculptures that was being transported across the sea when the boat sank, only to be discovered thousands of years later.”
8
“I couldn’t help myself! Here I am doing my best Goofy impression, wearing Celine, sneakers by the Row, and a necklace by artist Ugo Rondinone.”
9
“The Red Hot Chili Peppers performing at the after party for Damien Hirsts’s opening.”
10
“Here I am with the man of the hour, Damien Hirst! We are heading to dinner for the grand opening of his show. I am wearing a vintage Yves Saint Laurent dress from the late 1960s and carrying a Damien Hirst purse that was done in collaboration with Prada for his 2013 exhibition in Doha.”
11
“I was in Milan for a few days during the 2017 furniture expo, otherwise known as the Salone del Mobile. A highlight of the week was the temporary handball structure Hermes constructed to display the brand’s newest interior offerings. My favorite installation was for their latest collection of china. This season, Hermes pulled from their archive of tie patters and chose 20 iconic designs to replicate on plates, cups, bowls and trays, in four colors resulting in the most playful collection of tableware!”
12
“I discovered the most perfect tiny grocery shop while exploring the streets of Milan. It looks like a cabinet of Italian curiosity with the freshest produce, most delicious olive oils, tomato sauces and dried pastas.”
13
“A picture-esque day in Milan to visit the Duomo.”
14
“Andy Warhol’s Sixty Last Suppers is on display at the Museo del Novecento in Milan until mid-May. The Last Supper series was born out of a commission by gallerist Alexandre Iolas in 1984 and ended up being Warhol’s final body of work. This particular painting is the most prolific in the series and one of the largest in Warhol’s expansive three-decade career.”
15
“This stellar Keith Haring installation from 1985 was one of many highlights from an even more stellar Keith Haring Show at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, open until June 18th!”
