GOLIARDIC THREAD

"Filo goliardico" is a work rich in symbolism and meaning, born from the collaboration between Marco Tamburro and Daniele Oldani, which offers a profound and provocative critique of religious institutions, comparing them to a great universal circus. The scene unfolds around a central image, that of a tightrope walker in a tuxedo walking a slackline, a tightrope connecting two spires, both emblematic: one belonging to St. Peter's Basilica and the other to a mosque, depicted upside down.
The tightrope walker, drawn by Tamburro, represents the individual seeking a personal and authentic path amidst the dogmas and structures of different religions. The slackline is fragile, strung between two seemingly opposing worlds, yet united by the same ideological tension and the need to believe. The choice of the man in a tuxedo, a refined and impersonal figure, underscores the universality of the theme: anyone could find themselves walking that tightrope.
At the top of the canvas, a clown observes the scene from above. Painted by Oldani, the clown resembles a puppeteer, an ironic and disturbing figure symbolizing the theatricality and absurdity of religious struggles. His enigmatic smile evokes the idea that, ultimately, everything boils down to a show, where religious institutions become part of a global "circus." The caption at the bottom, "Choose which circus to believe in," reinforces the message, prompting the viewer to reflect on the role of religions as spectacles constructed to fascinate, control, and influence.
Filo goliardico is an ironic and cutting denunciation, a work that challenges the audience to take a stand or, conversely, to recognize the absurdity of taking sides in a dispute that, seen from above, might seem like nothing more than a spectacle.