The weight of words – The magical world of Sara Lovari

An artist from Tuscany whose work speaks the universal language of time, place and territory. It is easy to find the work of Sara Lovari. It has been exhibited in many countries, recognized by major awards, sought after in collective exhibitions and private collections, and hosted by prestigious institutions.

Some artists excite the public with their technique, while others do so through their poetics. Sara Lovari does both. In the kaleidoscope of contemporary art, she exists in a world apart. As Sara Lovari isn’t just an artist; she’s a visual storyteller who brings her unique perspective to life through her art.

She expresses herself with a tone that is uniquely her own, seemingly simple and immediate. You walk past her works, you see them, you stop, and you are immediately captivated. You continue on, but then you turn back and look at them again, and they stay with you for a long time.

She says she uses simple things to explain life, which is anything but simple.

And anything but simple is her mastery of the artistic techniques that she combines with contemporary themes. Her work spans various media, including sculpture and installation, and explores the relationship between the past and the present. This might be because she comes from the Casentino, a part of Tuscany renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, its artistic heritage, its historic monasteries and its castles. It is an area rich in ancient legends passed down from generation to generation, connecting Florence and Rome. History was written here.

It may be because I am Tuscan too, and therefore a bit biased, but in the works of Sara Lovari I find a lot of that cultural terroir. It may be that in her works I often find warm colours inspired by nature and the earth; or it may be due to the unique way in which Sara uses and combines 19th-century books and ancient maps, different materials and objects to create pictorial sculptures, assemblies of ideas that speak a secret yet universal language.

It’s difficult to pick one work, but I am particularly fond of her Books collection, a world made of ‘paper words’ and ancient jewel cases and reliquaries discovered in antique markets around the world.

“By burning the paper and handling it,” Lovari says, “I understand its value more and more. The older it is, the more it retains a distinct body and soul. When I burn it, I smell the tale of its history and the place where it was kept: it has scents of wood, talcum powder, fabric, perfume, mould, and wine. On the paper are printed words rarely used in everyday language, amusing phrases, photos, and objects. Each piece is a story, a life.”

Asked which of her works she was particularly fond of, she said: “I am very attached to Labirinto. It is an original, hand-painted tabernacle that contains a book titled Labyrinth and, at its base, there is a labyrinth made with pieces of mirror. The idea came to me when I thought that making choices in life is always a difficult thing, but in the end, like in a labyrinth, only by making decisions along the way can you find the way out by looking within yourself. Hence the choice of the mirror, because even after some difficulties, the right path can be found”.

Sara Lovari’s art explores universal themes. From the exploration of identity to the celebration of cultural heritage, each piece is infused with a sense of purpose. One of her most celebrated installations, exhibited the MANN Museum in Naples, is titled A pesca di vita (Fishing for Life) and looks at the sea and its connection to humanity and the territory. The installation consists of three wrought iron anchors, suspended six metres off the floor like fish hooks hovering above a sea of words, specifically seeking just three of them: Earth, Life, and History.

In her words: “The contrast is between sky and sea, between something that usually rests on the seabed but now floats in the air like a feather. However, like a hook, it catches words printed on white paper. The only heavy thing is the Word, and how important these words are when combined with others.”

Sara Lovari CV

Sara Lovari was born near Arezzo, Tuscany, in 1979. After graduating in Economics, she moved to England, where she made her debut as an artist in 2007. Since then, she has participated in numerous performances and exhibitions, both solo and group. In 2014, she was a finalist for the Mondadori Award and won the Adrenalina Award in the New Proposals category in Rome. In 2015, she was a finalist for the Catel Award at the Scuderie Aldobrandini in Frascati. That same year, she held a solo exhibition titled “Les Objects” at the Etruscan Museum in Cortona.

In October 2015, she received an art residency scholarship from the University of Oklahoma, where she created site-specific works on the theme of travel. In 2016, she won the Gold Adrenalina Award. In 2017, she exhibited at the Hurricane Biennale at the National Weather Center in Oklahoma City. Since 2022 her works are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Living History in Mumbai.

Words by Maria Cristina Bernardini