On November 14, 2021, Street Levels Gallery inaugurated “Il legno e la carne” (The wood and the flesh) at the spaces of ARTiglieria in via Cittadella 4, Florence. The project is the result of a collaboration with three other Florentine entities: Contrabbandiera Editrice, Fondazione ORT – Orchestra Regionale Toscana – and Fondazione Il Fiore.

140 years after Collodi’s debut, Miles’ latest solo exhibition aims to investigate the instinctual nature, carnality and fragility of the human condition. Confirming the cut of his research, Mìles shows little interest in the topoi related to Collodi’s characters, opting for an analysis of moods and behavioral impulses dictated by the contingencies of the fable as of life. For these reasons, in addition to portraits of the characters in the story, many works are dedicated to specific moments in the narrative. The exhibition is divided into two areas, corresponding to the illustrative and sculptural sections.

The beginning of the exhibition coincides with the beginning of the story and develops by constricting and dilating the time, with focus dedicated to situations and behaviors.

The portraits of Collodi’s characters and the depiction of the settings also demonstrate a technical versatility that was thoroughly explored during the twelve-month period in which the works were created. Given the countless interpretations of the world’s most translated fairy tale, the exhibition offers an unusual Pinocchio, following an equally unusual path through the works of a Miles who examines without judging, who explores the fragility and weaknesses of man without condemning, but who emphasizes the meaning of what defines man.
A Pinocchio, then, surrounded by meanness, generosity, pity, transgressions, deceptions and affection, which emphasizes the sense of what makes him real.

ALTRO