Inaugurated on September 20 in Siena, “Cavalli d’Autore” at Palazzo Sergaldi Biringucci, the sculpture by Ilaria Di Meo represents a horse, an ancient symbol of freedom, work, and endurance. But this horse does not run or pull carts; it feeds on books. An image that overturns the traditional idea of physical strength, reminding us that true power comes from knowledge. Those who feed on knowledge have the strength to face any path.
Inside the horse’s belly is a room where a girl reads, immersed in the pages. Knowledge is not only gathered but experienced and transformed. It is in the quiet of that reading that new ideas, new thoughts, and new possibilities are sparked. The animal’s belly thus becomes a womb: a place where something is born. The girl represents a new humanity, growing within knowledge and illuminated by a small light.
That light could be curiosity, the desire to understand, or perhaps just the need to find one’s bearings in a confusing world. Even in chaos, a book can light the way. The horse eats the books under its muzzle. This is the keystone of the sculpture. It is not enough to accumulate books; we must feed on them and inhabit them so that they become inspiration and a driving force for our actions.
“Only those who truly live inside books, like the girl, derive light and transformation from them. Even the materials used tell a story: the books that make up the horse were destined for the shredder. They were saved and took on a new form,” says Cristina Vannuzzi.
It is a concrete but also symbolic gesture: culture is not waste, it is a living material that renews itself, that continues to speak and nourish.
