Pietrasanta, Rachel Lee Hovnanian's stabbing of teddy bear in front of cathedral prompts discussion

In Pietrasanta , Rachel Lee Hovnanian ’s (Parkersburg, 1959) large installation entitled Poor Teddy in Repose, placed in Piazza del Duomo in Pietrasanta as part of the exhibition, which opened last Saturday, You are not alone. Angels Listening, which will remain in the Tuscan town until June 2. The exhibition, promoted by the Municipality of Pietrasanta with the collaboration of The Project Space, is curated by Annalisa Bugliani and Alessandro Romanini and starts with this monumental work, made of bronze and 4.5 meters high, shaped by the skilled hands of local artisans from a Pietrasanta foundry.

The sculpture depicts a stuffed teddy bear pierced by a knife, an image the artist intended to use to symbolize childhood interrupted and threatened, not only by physical violence, but also by isolation and the loss of values related to technology and human relationships.

The work elicited a wide variety of reactions within the community, ranging from admiration to perplexity, indignation to reflection. Some viewers greeted the sculpture with approval, grasping its significance as a social denunciation against the violence and neglect that plague many children’s lives, while others interpreted the message in a more personal way, seeing it as a representation of the fragility of innocence and the need to protect the most vulnerable. A work that therefore, according to many commentators, shocks consciences. Others, however, object to the work’s presence in the square, deeming it excessively gory, or unsuitable for the context of a Renaissance square.

Poor Teddy in Repose, installed in such a central location, has thus fueled a lively dialogue about the nature of contemporary art and its role in society, and is demonstrating the potential of art to communicate complex and universal messages, to stir deep emotions, and to unite people in a meaningful dialogue about the human condition and the society in which we live. Even if many, however, do not feel the same way. A work that is certainly impactful.

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Pietrasanta, Rachel Lee Hovnanian's stabbing of teddy bear in front of cathedral prompts discussion

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