{"id":19739,"date":"2025-11-12T10:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/palazzostrozzi.org\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T17:45:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T16:45:30","slug":"the-human-behind-the-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"The human behind the icon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the occasion of the opening of the site-specific installation THE MESSAGE<\/em> in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi (29 October 2025 \u2013 25 January 2026), we interviewed KAWS to discuss the ongoing exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico, with which his work enters into dialogue.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is the first image that comes to your mind when you think of Fra Angelico\u2019s work? Is it the Annunciation, or something else?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Definitely the Annunciation. I think it\u2019s just such a strong piece of religious iconography \u2014 all that gold leaf, the light, the sense of sacredness. It\u2019s something you grow up seeing, even if you\u2019re not really looking at it when you\u2019re young. It feels like it has always existed \u2014 and in a way, it has, because it\u2019s been around for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you started really looking at it only later, when you grew up.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I think so. These works have such presence, but when you\u2019re young you don\u2019t realize there was an individual behind them \u2014 someone sitting there, painting all of this by hand. Not just the great triptychs, but also the illuminated manuscripts, smaller devotional works. It\u2019s fascinating when you start connecting what you see in the world to the people who actually made it.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Beato Angelico<\/em>, exhibition views, Palazzo Strozzi e Museo di San Marco, Firenze, 2025. Photo: Ela Bialkowska OKNO Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How would you describe Fra Angelico\u2019s art to someone who has never seen it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s tough. I\u2019d say it\u2019s profoundly spiritual. The colors are so intense, the execution is flawless \u2014 they\u2019re true masterworks. There\u2019s this luminous quality to them, a kind of glow that feels alive. I\u2019m still in shock walking through the exhibition, realizing how many hundreds of years old these works are, and yet they feel as if they were painted this morning. They have a soul, a presence that\u2019s deeply inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your work you explore emotions, symbols, and different forms of expression. What, for you, is the relationship between art and spirituality?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, it\u2019s about honesty. As an artist, I think the only way to dedicate your life to art is by creating work that\u2019s an honest reflection of what you see, think, and feel. If you do that \u2014 if you\u2019re truthful \u2014 then your work has a chance to connect with others. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s exactly \u201cspiritual,\u201d but maybe that connection, that sincerity, is a kind of spirituality in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Fra Angelico<\/em>‘s exhibition views, Palazzo Strozzi and Museo di San Marco, Florence, 2025. Photo: Ela Bialkowska OKNO Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Fra Angelico painted for religious communities but also for private patrons. In your opinion, what is the power of a work conceived to be shared?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the whole purpose of art is to be shared. Of course, I love those solitary moments in the studio when I\u2019m making it, but I also love knowing that a work has a life after me. What\u2019s the point if it isn\u2019t meant to be seen, to be experienced by others? Trust me, I love being alone in the studio creating, but I want the work to exist far beyond those walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you been to Florence before? What does the city make you feel?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I\u2019ve been to Florence once before, a few years ago \u2014 actually for an event at Palazzo Strozzi. It was for Olafur Eliasson\u2019s opening with Acute Art, a London-based augmented reality company I\u2019m involved with. We did a project together, and even though I was only in town for a single day, I managed to walk around a bit. It\u2019s such a beautiful city. This trip is short too, but I\u2019m really looking forward to wandering through the streets and visiting as many museums as I can this time.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
KAWS: THE MESSAGE<\/em>, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, 2025. Photo Ela Bialkowska OKNO studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

KAWS<\/strong> is an American artist who has achieved global recognition with works ranging across painting, sculpture, and design; drawing inspiration from the imagery of animation and visual communication to employ a highly recognizable style and approach that is both playful and irreverent. He has exhibited extensively in major cultural institutions worldwide, including exhibitions at SFMoMA, San Francisco (2025); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (2025); The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2024); Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2023); Serpentine Gallery, London (2022); Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo (2021); The Brooklyn Museum, New York (2021); and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

On the cover: KAWS, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, 2025. Photo Ludovica Arcero Say Who<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the occasion of the opening of the site-specific installation THE MESSAGE in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi (29 October 2025 \u2013 25 January 2026), we interviewed KAWS to discuss the ongoing exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico, with which his work enters into dialogue. What is the first image that comes to your mind when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senza-categoria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the occasion of the opening of the site-specific installation THE MESSAGE in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi (29 October 2025 \u2013 25 January 2026), we interviewed KAWS to discuss the ongoing exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico, with which his work enters into dialogue. What is the first image that comes to your mind when […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"dev\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dev\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b\"},\"headline\":\"The human behind the icon\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\"},\"wordCount\":766,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Senza categoria\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\",\"name\":\"The human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":480},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The human behind the icon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Palazzo Strozzi\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b\",\"name\":\"dev\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/palazzostrozzi.org\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi","og_description":"On the occasion of the opening of the site-specific installation THE MESSAGE in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi (29 October 2025 \u2013 25 January 2026), we interviewed KAWS to discuss the ongoing exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico, with which his work enters into dialogue. What is the first image that comes to your mind when […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/","og_site_name":"Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi","article_published_time":"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"dev","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/"},"author":{"name":"dev","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b"},"headline":"The human behind the icon","datePublished":"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/"},"wordCount":766,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg","articleSection":["Senza categoria"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/","url":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/","name":"The human behind the icon – Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-12T09:20:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-28T16:45:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/kaws_27102025_ludovica_arcero_saywho_4_GIMP-3.jpg","width":800,"height":480},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/the-human-behind-the-icon\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The human behind the icon"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/","name":"Palazzo Strozzi","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/da1741df27c67303f3a3a31fdfedcf1b","name":"dev","sameAs":["https:\/\/palazzostrozzi.org"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19739"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19744,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19739\/revisions\/19744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.palazzostrozzi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}