#pieta is a critique of the commodification of art in the age of images and social media. The artwork reinterprets Michelangelo's Pietà, subverting its meaning: Kim Kardashian, an icon of luxury and appearance, wears a designer garment and sits on a golden box, a symbol of the perfect packaging of pop culture. Michelangelo's David lies inert on her lap, reduced to an aesthetic icon devoid of meaning. The entire scene rests on industrial pallets, forklifted by a pallet jack, like merchandise awaiting shipment, sale, and consumption. On the ground, carefully folded, lies a sculpted sash, identical to the one on which Michelangelo signed his Pietà. It did not fall by chance but was placed with
respect, a discreet and heartfelt tribute to the master. Carved into the raw wood of a pallet, a phrase awaits discovery: “Time shapes art, art shapes time.” A message that invites reflection on the impact of art on society and vice versa. With #pieta, classical art is sucked into the vortex of digital overconsumption. Is it still a cultural legacy, or is it just a package ready for delivery?