KAWS’s installation THE MESSAGE, inspired by Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, offers a contemporary interpretation within a Renaissance setting. His iconic BFF and COMPANION characters, holding smartphones, draw attention to the loneliness of modern communication and the sacred symbols of the digital age.
New Jersey–born Brian Donnelly, known as KAWS, is one of the most recognizable names in contemporary art. Beginning his career as a graffiti artist, KAWS gradually expanded his practice to include painting, sculpture, graphic design, and large-scale installations. His characters—marked by their X-shaped eyes—along with his blending of toy design, consumer products, and fine art, have gained him international acclaim. KAWS’s works convey human emotions in a universal language, challenging the boundaries between high and popular culture, and offering audiences both visual and conceptual depth.
From October 29, 2025, to January 25, 2026, KAWS transforms the Renaissance courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi in Florence with his site-specific installation THE MESSAGE. The six-meter-tall figures of BFF and COMPANION juxtapose the cold geometry of stone with the warmth of wood, creating a surprising dialogue between past and present. The work also forms a visual conversation with the Fra Angelico exhibition presented simultaneously at Palazzo Strozzi.
Photo: Dr. Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio © KAWS.
Smartphones and the Modern Annunciation
In THE MESSAGE, KAWS reimagines his two iconic figures holding smartphones, echoing the sacred encounter of Fra Angelico’s 1433 Annunciation. BFF places a hand over its heart, while COMPANION crouches, mesmerized by the glow of a screen—a scene reflecting how technology reshapes human connection, attention, and communication. By fusing traditional religious iconography with today’s digital world, KAWS creates a layered reflection on faith, technology, and intimacy. The smartphones, elevated to near-sacred objects, become symbols of contemporary devotion, leaving the true “message” open to interpretation.
Photo: Dr. Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio © KAWS.
Part of the Palazzo Strozzi Future Art program, the installation bridges Renaissance architecture and contemporary art. Placed in the open-air courtyard, it invites direct interaction, highlighting KAWS’s ongoing exploration of universal emotions—loneliness, connection, and technology. While questioning the divide between fine art and popular culture, KAWS also invites viewers to contemplate the ways digital life shapes our perception and relationships.
KAWS has held major solo exhibitions at institutions such as SFMoMA (San Francisco, 2025), The Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, 2024), Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, 2023), Serpentine Gallery (London, 2022), and The Brooklyn Museum (New York, 2021). THE MESSAGE will remain on view at Palazzo Strozzi until January 25, 2026, continuing to weave a contemporary dialogue within the heart of Renaissance Florence.
