Jago’s David at Gallerie d’Italia in Naples: a dialogue between past and present

From February 6 to October 26, 2025, Jago’s David takes center stage in a major exhibition at the Gallerie d’Italia in Naples.

The Gallerie d’Italia house a heritage that spans centuries of art history, embracing both the great masters of the past and the most innovative expressions of the present.

The David sculpture, made of plaster and nearly two meters tall, welcomes visitors in the museum’s monumental atrium, marking a significant moment in the dialogue between classical and contemporary art. This exhibition represents an important opportunity for a conversation between different artistic languages, emphasizing the continuity between tradition and innovation.

With David, Jago reinterprets the myth of David and Goliath through a contemporary lens, giving the female figure a proud and determined posture, inspired by Michelangelo’s iconic masterpiece.

The iconographic elements of the sling and the stone—the latter a recurring motif in the artist’s work—evoke courage and resilience, central themes in his artistic exploration. The artwork originated in 2020 with an initial clay sketch. From this study phase, Jago developed the plaster model now on display in Naples, which he is currently translating into marble from a Carrara block over four meters high.

The official presentation of the work featured Michele Coppola, Executive Director of Art, Culture, and Historical Heritage at Intesa Sanpaolo and General Director of Gallerie d’Italia, along with Don Antonio Loffredo, President of the San Gennaro Foundation, which actively supports the Jago Museum, the work’s place of origin.

The exhibition of David at the Gallerie d’Italia in Naples seals the connection between two museum institutions that, through different approaches, share the commitment to making art a living and accessible experience.