Mart Signed

MART SIGNED (Livorno, Italy, 1988).
“Where is love?”, 2026.
Spray paint on polystyrene and recycled materials.
Certificate of authenticity included.
Signed and dated on the back.
Measurements: 65 x 60 x 5 cm.
The Italian artist Mart Signed developed his artistic practice within a context deeply rooted in urban visual culture. From a very young age, he showed an interest in artistic experimentation, getting his start in the underground scene of his hometown as a street artist, where he began to develop a visual language marked by the immediacy of graffiti and an early sensitivity to social and environmental issues. After earning a diploma in advertising graphics in Livorno, he continued his training at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, a pivotal period during which he delved into art history and refined his preferred techniques—stencil, spray paint, and collage— while actively participating in exhibitions, art fairs, and performance projects. His artistic practice has also extended into the realms of installation and performance.
This dialogue between artistic tradition and popular culture is evident in this work, which features Michelangelo Buonarroti’s famous David accompanied by Santa’s Little Helper, the dog from *The Simpsons*. In this composition, the quintessential icon of the classical Renaissance ideal is inserted into a visual environment dominated by graffiti-style symbols and graphics, which serve as an urban backdrop. The presence of the animated character introduces an ironic hallmark between the solemnity of classical sculpture and popular media culture—a common device in contemporary urban art. Through this juxtaposition, Mart Signed challenges traditional hierarchies in art history and offers a contemporary interpretation of major cultural symbols, integrating them into the visual imagination of contemporary society.