In Erice Philip Colbert, heir of pop art on show with "Lobsteropolis"

In Erice, an unprecedented dialogue between past and present, featuring the colorful and hyper-contemporary universe of Philip Colbert, declared heir of Pop Art with 'Lobsteropolis', curated by Giordano Bruno Guerri. The project fits into the thousand-year-old fabric of the city, transforming the village into a stage where the art of our time confronts history. Monumental sculptures of anthropomorphic lobsters, installations of works that mix irony and artistic quotations, from Rubens to Warhol, are exhibited in the places that saw the flourishing of the Elymian civilization, founded by the Trojans who arrived in Sicily after the destruction of their city by the Achaeans, Segesta and Erice. The works will be placed in symbolic places such as the Castle of Venus, Piazza della Matrice, the Wigner-San Francesco Institute, the Olof Palme Belvedere of the Blackett San Domenico Institute and Porta Trapani, while in Segesta they will be exhibited in the Doric Temple and along the path that leads to the Theater.

A disruptive effect, a visual game that invites the public to reflect on the relationship between tradition and innovation, high culture and pop culture, memory and future. Among the works on display, 'Lobster Fountain', a lively sculpture that plays with the classic iconography of monumental fountains, 'Head of Medusa', a contemporary reinterpretation of the myth of the Gorgon, made of steel, 'Lobster on Skull', in which symbolism merges with pop graphics, made of marble, 'Battle for Lobsteropolis XXIX and XXX', two paintings that tell the surreal battles of Colbert's imaginative universe next to 'Lobster Totem' ('Yellow King'), a totemic work that recalls the sacred forms of tribal art.

Lobsteropolis in Erice is more than an exhibition. It is a symbolic and surreal 'occupation' of time, where the ancient city welcomes the visual language of the present and enhances its contrasts. The initiative is the result of close collaboration between local institutions and the cultural realities of the territory. The Municipality of Erice, with the support of the mayor Daniela Toscano Pecorella, has promoted the meeting between contemporary art and historical heritage, recognizing the value of a project capable of dialoguing with the identity of the place.

The Archaeological Park of Segesta, under the direction of Luigi Biondo, offered a context of extraordinary historical and landscape importance to host the artistic intervention. The Erice Arte Foundation, chaired by Nicola Adragna, contributed to the realization of the project with a vision oriented towards the cultural valorization of the territory. The contribution of the Ettore Majorana Foundation, with the participation of Lorenzo Zichichi, who supported the initiative as part of his commitment to the integration of culture, science and art, was also crucial. The exhibition was conceived and set up by Il Cigno Arte in collaboration with the Mucciaccia Gallery and La Colomba di Erice.

Born in Scotland and currently living and working in London, Philip Colbert is often referred to as ‘Andy Warhol’s godson’. He has built a global following with his cartoonish lobster alter ego and masterful hyper-pop history paintings. His work powerfully explores the patterns of contemporary digital culture and their relationship to a deeper dialogue in art history. Having graduated with a BA in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews, Colbert’s work has received international recognition in museums and galleries around the world for his energetic approach to painting and pop theory.

In the vein of early Pop painters such as Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein, and James Rosenquist, Colbert's paintings fuse high art themes from the Old Masters and contemporary art theory with everyday symbols of mass culture, all told through the eyes of his alter ego, the cartoon lobster. He has been hailed as a contemporary Pop master by leading art world figures such as Charles Saatchi and Simon de Pury.