Lina Botero, daughter of the late Colombian artist Fernando Botero has transformed the streets and squares of Rome into an open-air museum, showcasing eight of her father’s renowned, whimsical sculptures.
The exhibition was arranged to honor Botero, who passed away on September 15, 2023, at the age of 91. Botero had lived for many years in Pietrasanta, Tuscany, and was buried there alongside his third wife, the artist Sophia Vari.
“I am sure my father would be very moved because Italy was always like a second home country for him,’’ his daughter, Lina Botero, told private Italian television TV2000.
Botero crafted all the sculptures featured in the exhibition during his time in Italy, influenced by his admiration for Renaissance masters.
Although his grand bronze statues have been displayed in parks and avenues across various European and Latin American capitals, this is their first major showcase in Rome. The exhibition will run until October 1.
Visitors can explore a Botero trail starting at Villa Borghese park in central Rome, where the sculpture Lying Woman overlooks the city from the Pincio Terrace, facing St. Peter’s Basilica. In Piazza del Popolo, the sculptures Adam and Eve face each other. Horse with Bridle is placed on Via del Corso, Rome’s main shopping street, and the trail ends near Piazza di Spagna with the sculpture Seated Woman.
“We could tell from afar those are Boteros,” said Sara Belloni, a resident who paused to photograph Adam and Eve from below. “The aesthetic is completely the opposite compared to what one usually sees around. Where skinny is beautiful, he does the exact opposite.”
Lorenzo Zichichi, one of the exhibition’s co-organizers, remarked that describing the sculptures as “fat” would be a mistake.
“Botero has always said that he has never painted a fat woman and he has never sculpted a fat woman,” said Zichichi, president of the Il Cigno publishing house, which presented the exhibition along with the Fernando Botero Foundation and BAM art events. “What fascinated him was the volume.”
