So, here we are back again at one of our favorite art exhibition spaces in Rome. Last time we were at the Cloister of Bramante was for the major Banksy exhibit. This time, it was for something even more CRAZY than Banksy. CRAZY: Madness in Contemporary Art is an exhibit of some “off the wall” installations. Some of it is just weird, some is “meh,” some of the installations are disturbing, and some are magical. I’ll focus on those installations that really moved us.

The exhibition descriptions got on my nerves, starting with the official write-up:

[M]adness can have no limits… a perception of the world is the first sign of instability, the first contact between external reality and the brain, between physical truth and poetic creativity, between laws of optics and neurological disorders.

Yeah, sure. Similarly, the audioguide’s contents were just too pretentious for our taste. I turned it off after a few installations. The written information, in both Italian and English, was more than enough for me.

Before you enter the CRAZY exhibition space, the first installation you encounter is on the courtyard floor, which has been covered with mirrors.  Most of them are shattered, which creates a beguiling visual and image. The visual: the floor looks like it’s made of ice. The image: then you see the really interesting effect of the reflections of the cloister in the mirrors.

You will see that the stairs leading to the second floor have been transformed into something absolutely gorgeous. 

As you approach the exhibition’s entrance, you pass by these, 

 

Finally you enter the exhibition space. After going through a few rooms of art that did not rock my world, one room is positively unsettling and definitely made me not want to go back to work — but I liked it. Not shown in this picture, there’s a hole in the ceiling. When you look up into the hole, it’s like looking into another world.

Then you get to this installation, which is gorgeous, in a large darkened room. On the floor are a series of stacked frames with thousands of flickering lights — quite mesmerizing to experience.

Another installation that hit a home run for us is in the stairwell leading up through the exhibit, featuring thousands of black cut-outs of butterflies that apparently reflect a memory of the artist. It feels like you are walking though a cloud of these lovely insects.

 

Upon exiting the black and white serenity of the butterflies, you’re immersed into a riot of color and texture, 

Further along, there are the giant, beautiful, hanging wax flowers by Petah Coyne, 

 

And a wonderful piece hanging from the ceiling that feels like a cross between a flower and some sort of alien creature.  As it turns out, this is a small study for what will be a gigantic installation, but it already packs a real punch.

 

 

One installation needs to be sought out. First, you go through a closet filled with weird clothes and accessories… then there’s a room hidden in the back. There’s one drum on the floor and another hanging from the ceiling — both playing themselves! Weird in a topsy-turvy way and delightful. We also liked that it was hidden away, waiting to be discovered.

Later, you walk through a bizarre hallway with twists and turns, in the dark with occasional flashes — almost like an old-time fun house. It left us feeling disoriented and on edge, but in a good way.

Further adding to the feeling of unease, the last installation — after the terrific gift shop — is right out of a nightmare. 

CRAZY is on exhibit until January 8, 2023, so get there now if you can! (Sorry the photos don’t do justice to these installations — maybe it’s time for me to start doing videos!)