Looking for Monna Lisa in Pavia: art, mystery, and contemporary visions

There is a gaze that endures through centuries—observing without judgment, guarding secrets behind a faint smile. It is the gaze of the Monna Lisa, the most enigmatic face in art history, an eternal symbol of Leonardo da Vinci’s genius. Five hundred years after his death, Pavia pays homage with Looking for Monna Lisa, a widespread, emotional, and contemporary exhibition.

Curated by Valerio Dehò and promoted by the Municipality of Pavia with the support of the Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia, the show transforms the city into an open-air gallery: from the Church of Santa Maria Gualtieri to the Broletto, from the Visconti Castle to the Town Hall Square. Each location becomes a stop along a journey through identity, femininity, memory, and the gaze.

A myth that continues to reinvent itself

Who was Monna Lisa, really? A Florentine lady? A Lombard noblewoman? Or perhaps, as the immersive installation Monna Lisa who? by Karmachina and Studio Dune suggests, the mysterious Isabella of Aragon? Beyond her historical identity, it is the mystery that captivates—and it is this very enigma that inspired the 39 international artists featured in the exhibition.

The more than 40 works offer pop, conceptual, ironic, and critical interpretations of the world’s most famous face. Monna Lisa multiplies, disguises herself, fades, and reinvents her image. Alongside the collages of Jiri Kolar, the reflections of Vettor Pisani, the provocations of Orlan, and the wit of Ben Vautier, stands one of the most intimate and original works: La GIOKONDA by Stefano Bressani.

La GIOKONDA by Stefano Bressani: a living and poetic tribute

It is not a mere reinterpretation—it is an encounter. With La GIOKONDA, Stefano Bressani transforms Leonardo’s icon into a living body made of fabric, memory, and humanity. The famous Monna Lisa remains recognizable, yet transformed. Her face, composed of recycled fabrics, tells silent stories—emotions stitched with the care of one who listens to matter itself.

The “K” in the title—GIOKONDA—is more than a graphic choice: it is a deliberate break, a playful gesture that becomes both artistic and symbolic. A declaration of love for the original, yet also an act of creative freedom.

In Bressani’s language, fabric is not merely aesthetic material—it is flesh, skin, and spirit. The garment of the work becomes a living body, a symbol of womanhood and its connection to nature. The flowing blue hair evokes the sea and the feminine archetype, while the leaves adorning her head speak of rebirth and awareness.

Her gaze does not follow us—it questions us. It does not seek reassurance, but invites inquiry. Who are we? What do we see? Are we truly ready to look?

An art to live, not merely to contemplate

Like all of Bressani’s Sculture Vestite, La GIOKONDA is meant to be close—not confined to a museum, but ready to inhabit our homes and our lives. A presence that changes with us, that watches, accompanies, and reminds us that beauty is never static but a continuous rebirth.

With this poetic gesture, Bressani brings Leonardo to life once more. And the Gioconda still looks upon us—with new eyes.