L'Echapée Belle, 2016
Wooden birdcage, mirror
75 × 32 × 32 cm

L'Échapée Belle is a constituent artwork, with an intention to change the perception of the environment it is situated in. The work was first produced in 2016 for the Bois d’Amour exhibition curated by Pier Paolo Pancotto.

Inspired by the historical and cultural context of Villa Medici, L'Échapée Belle found its location in La stanza degli uccelli (eng. The Bird Room) of the 16th century building Il Padiglione di Ferdinando de’ Medici. The ceiling of La stanza degli uccelli, executed by Jacopo Zucchi in 1570s, pictures a pergola with a multitude of birds and animals, an encyclopedia of fauna and flora of the times.

The wooden bird cage with mirror bottom serves as a mixing realities implement. Reflecting the environment, L'Échapée Belle allows room for a paradox, another perception of reality and potentiality of spaces, either inner or outer.

The inversion of the cage and the deconstruction of its initial purpose opens a door for the feathered inhabitants of La stanza degli uccelli, seemingly giving them the possibility to escape the building through the cage.