Face-To-Face: Andy Warhol in dialogue with contemporary artists curated by Nataša Radojević
Opening: May 22, 2025, at 7 PM
Borgo Santi Apostoli 40r, Florence
On view through August 9, 2025
Drina and Aria Art Gallery are pleased to announce Face-To-Face, a compelling exhibition featuring iconic works by Andy Warhol, presented in dialogue with nine contemporary artists. Curated by Nataša Radojević, the exhibition opens on May 22, 2025, at 7 PM, at the Aria Art Gallery’s historic space in the heart of Florence.
Through a carefully curated selection of works, the exhibition explores key themes pioneered by the father of Pop Art, reinterpreted and reimagined through the lens of today’s artistic voices by: Daniele Sigalot, Thelonious Strokes, Veljko Vučković, Carole Feuerman, Szymon Oltarzewski, Salustiano, Milija Čpajak, Labotiv. Face-To-Face unfolds across the gallery's distinct exhibition spaces, with each area dedicated to a specific thematic focus—creating a dynamic and thought-provoking conversation across time and media.
The exhibition unfolds across Aria Art Gallery’s distinct spatial environments, with each room dedicated to a unique conceptual thread, exploring identity, celebrity, consumer culture, animals, and the aesthetics of repetition and surface etc. This curatorial approach creates a dynamic and thought-provoking cross-generational dialogue, inviting viewers to reflect on cultural narratives that continue to resonate in our time.
Among the works on display is a striking silkscreen portrait of Caroline Wiess Law, a collector and philanthropist, set against a burnt orange background. Commissioned in the 1970s, it reflects both the elegance of its subject and Warhol’s stylistic maturity. Also featured are pieces from the Ladies and Gentlemen series, dedicated to Black and Hispanic drag queens and transgender individuals, inspired by Polaroids taken by the artist during the Studio 54 years. The work dedicated to Martha Graham is a tribute to the legendary pioneer of modern dance. Using iconic photographs from the 1940s taken by Barbara Morgan, Warhol reinterprets three of Graham’s most significant choreographies. The exhibition is completed by the iconic Liz Taylor, Mao, the unusual and ironic Cow, the Hans Christian Andersen suite and Sant’Apollonia.
The exhibition is presented in collaboration between Aria Art Gallery, JF Fine Arts and Drina.
Under the patronage of the Municipality of Florence.
Opening hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am - 1.30pm / 3.30pm - 7.30pm
Aria Art Gallery, Borgo Santi Apostoli 40r, Florence
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Andy Warhol: Works in the Exhibition
Ladies and Gentlemen
In this series of ten screenprints, Warhol captures Black and Hispanic drag queens and transgender individuals based on Polaroid photographs he took himself. A departure from his earlier use of found imagery, Ladies and Gentlemen reflects Warhol’s fascination with self-invention and performative identity. Created during the culturally vibrant 1970s and the Studio 54 era, the series celebrates a community boldly embracing self-expression.
Martha Graham Series
Warhol’s homage to the legendary modern dance pioneer was both a tribute and a fundraising initiative for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Using iconic 1940s photographs by Barbara Morgan, Warhol reinterprets three of Graham’s seminal works—Lamentation, Satyric Festival Song, and Letter to the World (The Kick)—transforming movement into vibrant Pop images that fuse emotion and form through color and repetition.
Endangered Species
Prompted by a conversation with art dealers Ronald and Freyda Feldman, Warhol created this series to spotlight the conservation crisis of the 1980s. In screenprints such as Black Rhinoceros, Warhol applies his signature ‘celebrity’ treatment to animals, equating their endangered status with the ephemeral nature of fame. While he never publicly championed animal rights, Warhol used his platform to draw attention to ecological concerns.
Mao
Inspired by President Nixon’s visit to China, Warhol’s Mao series draws a parallel between political iconography and pop celebrity. Through vibrant color and repetition, Warhol transforms Chairman Mao Zedong into a global Pop icon, blurring the lines between propaganda and mass media, East and West.
Cow Series
Warhol’s Cow prints—produced in four distinct color schemes—are among his most recognizable works. Initially printed as wallpaper and famously exhibited floor-to-ceiling at Leo Castelli Gallery, these humorous and psychedelic interpretations of a seemingly mundane subject challenge the viewer’s expectations and elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Saint Apollonia
Inspired by a painting by Piero della Francesca, Warhol’s Saint Apollonia fuses religious iconography with Pop aesthetics. Using thick layers of ink to mimic the cracks of an ancient fresco, Warhol renders the saint with vibrant colors and bold outlines. Holding the symbolic dental pincers, Apollonia is reimagined as both martyr and modern icon—blurring the boundaries between sanctity and stardom.
Caroline Law
This striking portrait features philanthropist and art collector Caroline Wiess Law, screenprinted in black on a burnt orange ground. Law, a major supporter of the arts, commissioned this portrait during the 1970s. The work reflects both her refined elegance and Warhol’s mature mastery of color and composition, encapsulating the glamour of an era and the synergy between artist and patron.
Hans Christian Andersen Suite
In one of his final projects, Warhol pays tribute to Danish author Hans Christian Andersen with a portfolio of four screenprints, including playful cut-out-style illustrations of characters from his fairy tales. Only one print features a portrait of Andersen himself, emphasizing the enduring cultural impact of his imaginative stories. Completed shortly before Warhol’s death, this series affirms his fascination with storytelling and iconic figures.
Liz Taylor
Immortalising one of the most ionic and glamorous faces of the 20th century, Liz is a print series by Andy Warhol from 1964 depicting the eponymous actress. Distinguishing an entire generation of art, Warhol’s Liz epitomises the artist’s Pop Art style becoming synonymous with the movement as a whole and a symbol of 20th century American culture.
Taylor was at the height of her career by 1963, and so this meant that she was the perfect subject for Warhol at the time.
Warhol’s portrait of Liz Taylor precedes his portraits of Marilyn Monroe that share these intertwining themes of death and celebrity.
